


Their Enemies

by wolf3223



Series: Her Weakness series [2]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-29
Updated: 2016-01-13
Packaged: 2018-04-17 21:43:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 76
Words: 40,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4682462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolf3223/pseuds/wolf3223
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clarke and Lexa have finally freed their people and gotten together, but their life is never that simple. When a new enemy arises and joins an old enemy, will their people's combined strength be enough? Or will they lose everything they love?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Though Clarke and I are finally together, we do not spend as much time in each other's presence as we would like. Our people are not happy about our relationship, and some even believe it faked to bring our people closer, but they do not protest or complain. Though we do get glared at often. Not nearly as much after I punched one of my own men because I was tired of people looking at her wrong.

Raven came up with a "genius" idea so we will not get huffy-her and Octavia's words-when we have not seen each other in a while. She made us a device that allows us to communicate no matter where we are.

I carry it with me everywhere and my people have noticed. Behind my back, they are saying that they are turning me into one of the Sky People. Once I would have ripped their tongues out with my bare hands for daring to speak ill of their Commander, but I have been less violent since I met Clarke.

She stays at the Ark and I stay in Indra's village. At first we met at the Ark but now we often meet in the middle. I train her in hand to hand combat and she teaches me how to use a gun. It does not take me long to realize it is like shooting an automatic bow and become good at it.

Though Clarke is not bad at hand to hand or handling weapons, she is nowhere near good enough to fight against one of the village's children.

She, of course, complained. "Can you not be good at everything?"

Once we moved our training from the Ark, Clarke's mother began to make excuses to come out and watch us. I assume she does so to make sure I do not "defile" her daughter-though I am sure she did more than kiss with Finn-and to make sure I don't kidnap or murder her daughter.

It has been more than a month since we rescued our people and Clarke has still not tired of me. We sit in her room with the door open-Chancellor's orders-in silence. Quiet between us has never been uncomfortable. Instead, it feels almost natural.

"Where do you think Octavia went?" Clarke murmurs.

I can feel the worry radiating off of her and slip my arm around her shoulder. Clarke leans into me.

"I am not sure. She is not with the hunting parties and is not sparring. Lincoln does not seem to know either. I am sure she is fine, Clarke." I press my lips to the top of her head.

She leans up and we kiss gently.

"I know, I'm just worried," she sighs as she pulls away. "Can we look around again?"

"Of course." I stand up and hold out my hand. Clarke smiles as she takes it and I help her up.

We scour the ship once again before ending up in Raven's work room. Clarke walks in first and holds the curtain open for me.

She is more relaxed than I have seen her in the days Octavia has been gone.

"Hey, Commander." A familiar voice says.

I walk inside and take Clarke's hand. I turn my head to see her watching Raven fiddling with something.

"Octavia."


	2. Chapter 2

"Octavia."

"Where were you?" Clarke questions.

"I snuck back to the Mountain Men's base," she shrugs.

"You did what?" I growl, running a hand through my hair. Dammit, she could have gotten hurt and we wouldn't know where she was to rescue her.

"I gave Maya a radio so she can give us intel."

"The radio I'm working on should directly connect to Maya's." Raven adds around the wrench she is keeping in her mouth.

"Did Mom tell you to do that?" Clarke sounds annoyed. That is something her mother would do. Put her daughter's friends in danger without informing her daughter.

"No," Octavia shakes her head. "We decided it would be best not to ask for permission."

I frown, "Why not?"

My people would see that as treason and bind her to a wooden pole for doing that. She's lucky she's one of the Sky People. Though she acts more like a "Grounder" as they call us.

"Would you have let me go?"

"No," I say, straining to keep emotions out of my voice. "It's dangerous. You could've been killed."

Octavia flings out her hand, gesturing to me. Before Clarke, I would have taken it and crushed the bones in her hand in mind for such disrespect. But she is a friend, and I am trying to control what Clarke calls my violent urges.

"That's my point!" she exclaims. "You're so worried about my safety, and as touching as that is, you didn't stop to think about how good this could be for us! And our alliance."

Raven radio crackles and she lets out a triumphant grunt. She fiddles with it and it keens, making us flinch before Maya's voice comes from the device.

"Hello?"

"Maya?" Clarke grabs the radio from Raven, who shoots her a dirty look before sitting on a barely worn chair.

"Hey. Yeah, it's me. Listen, the Ice Queen just made an alliance with us to destroy both the Sky People and Lexa's people." I pale. I know that she hates me, but to want to massacre so many because of am old grudge... She is more insane than I previously thought. "Anyways, I can get you guys more information than before because they think that since I'm friends with you guys, I'll tell them your secrets or something. Don't worry; I won't. Tell Jasper I said hi. Bye." The static ceases and I can feel my shoulders slump.

The scrape and groan of their gate opening fills the silence the room. A currier runs to me, flushed and slightly out of breath. He must have ben running for a while to be this tired. Curriers have incredibly high stamina and can run for hours, if not days.

"Heda," he gasps, bending over and bracing his hands on his knees. I watch him quietly as he takes a deep breath and straightens up. He bows to me, "The Ice Nation has called a summit."

"When?"

"Tomorrow in TonDC." His eyes flicker to Clarke. "They request the leader of the Sky People's presence."

I nod, knowing he has finished relaying his message. He scurries off. He has most likely heard of my temper. I learned years ago that flaying the messenger may be satisfying, but it accomplishes nothing.

This is most likely going to end in a declaration of war, which annoys me to no end. I have no reason to fight them other than they want to fight me. There will be unnecessary bloodshed and innocents will die.

Clarke sighs, "I guess we'll have to go tell my mother."


	3. Chapter 3

"I guess we'll have to go tell my mother."

"You're the leader," Raven looks up from her work.

"I know. I figured I might as well tell her where I'm going with Lexa. Otherwise, Mom will think she took to the middle of the woods and murdered me and will declare war on the Grounders." Clarke explains and I frown at her words. Her mother does tend to overreact.

"I'll come too," Octavia says.

Clarke glances at me, silently asking if I agree to bring her. I nod, letting a smile grace my face. She is so thoughtful without even noticing it.

Raven goes to a storage room attached to her workplace. She walks out with a device similar to the one Clarke and I use.

"Just call for help if you need it, okay? If you're captured and forced to tell me that everything's fine, press that button." Raven points to a well camouflaged nick in the device.

Clarke nods, her expression serious. I reach out and grab her hand. I cannot help the happiness that floods through me when she relaxes at my touch.

"Got it. Thanks, Raven. You're awesome, you know that?" Clarke asks, giving her a crooked grin.

"Of course I do, Clarke. Now go boss around the Chancellor with your girlfriend."

I smile. Her friends are not against our relationship, which is a nice change of pace from the skeptical looks we still get. They tease us when we go off to train, thinking that we just want some alone time. We do, but not in the way they think.

We walk out and Raven waves before going back to tinkering. Octavia trails a few feet behind us.

I almost dread seeing Clarke's mother. She has been nothing but hostile towards me, refusing to acknowledge that I am in fact a person and do have feelings. And those feelings happen to be for her daughter.

"What now?" Clarke's mother's voice drops disdain and she hasn't even looked up from what she's working on. It's as if she can sense my presence.

"We're going to TonDC," Clarke states. Not a question, a statement.

She looks up, alarmed. "You're too young to get married!"

I freeze but luckily, Clarke jumps in. "What? No! There's a meeting off the nations and they invited us."

"The leader," Octavia adds unhelpfully.

"And why are you going, Clarke? In case you have forgotten, I am the Chancellor." She speaks coldly and I want so badly to punch her. How dare speak so disrespectfully to Clarke! It's as if she has forgotten that she's her daughter!

"You may be the Chancellor, but she is the leader," I defend. "Give your people a poll, let them vote on who they want as a leader. You or your daughter? I guarantee that your daughter will win. They fear you. The only thing stronger than fear is hope. Which is what Clarke rules by. She gives people hope, a reason to keep fighting. Your people live in fear of your foolish laws that accomplish nothing but oppressing them!"


	4. Chapter 4

Clarke and Octavia both are gaping at me. Clarke's mom, however is unimpressed.

"Dang, girl." Octavia says, "That's the most I've heard you speak. Ever."

Clarke closes her mouth and looks at me with a gentle smile on her face.

"Don't you dare talk bad about me, Commander," her mother says my rank distastefully. "You left her. You deserted not only her, but her people. You betrayed her trust. So don't you dare talk to me criticizing my methods!"

I stare coldly at her. My face has fallen into that stone hard expression that has not shown up since I started dating Clarke. "You betrayed her first. You are her mother and you sent her, along with ninety nine other children down here. You didn't know they would survive, yet you sent your daughter down."

Clarke's mother refuses to look at me or her daughter. "It was for the good of our people."

"Keep telling yourself that. I am sure that it helps you sleep at night." I run a hand through my hair and study Clarke. She calms me almost instantly. "We are going to TonDC for a meeting. Octavia will travel with us as a guard."

Her mother is silent but I know she is dying to spit profanities at me. I reach out my hand and Clarke takes it. I take a deep breath and feel the last of my hatred flew from my body. We walk out the door. Her mother does not seem to care enough of the well being of her daughter to say that she loves her or tell her to be safe. She just stands there, numb, mentally throwing daggers at my back.

"Your mom's pretty intense," Octavia turns back and frowns at the woman we left.

"Yeah. She does what she thinks is best for everyone. She sent me down because if she refused to, it would seem as if she were playing favorites."

Yet another Sky People term I am unfamiliar with. "How do you play with favorites?"

"It's like mom's putting someone over someone else. In this case, she'd be acting like I'm more important than another young prisoner just because I'm her daughter." Clarke explains.

I nod. They have so many strange words I have never heard of. Some find it amusing that we don't know words that their children do.

When we walk out, we hear the familiar sound of the gate opening. Some of my best warriors walk in, nodding to us in respect.

"Heda," one says, "We are here to escort you to TonDC."

"They have me," Octavia speaks before we get the chance. "I can protect them."

They look at each other and then back at her and burst out laughing.

"You? You will defend the Commander on your own?" They cackle.

I do not find this as funny as they seem to. "If she beats you all in a fight, she will be my only body guard. Deal?"

"Three on one?" Octavia asks. She smirks and cracks her knuckles. "I like my odds."


	5. Chapter 5

My men roll their eyes at Octavia. Two step back, letting one rush at her while the others watch. It is a classic technique. We use it to gauge our enemy's strength. Though if they are letting her have a one on one battle because they're studying her, they wouldn't look so disinterested. I believe they do not think she is capable of three on one, let alone just fighting one man. Arrogant fools.

He punches, trying for a quick knockout. She easily dodges and grabs into his shoulder and pulls. He stumbles past her, shock evident in his expression as he tries to regain his footing. Octavia swiftly turns and hits his neck with the side of her hand and he falls to his knees. He sways and then falls to the ground, unconscious.

I smile. Indra taught me that, it's her signature move. She must really like Octavia to teach her that.

His buddies notice that he is down and will no longer fight. Their once bored faces give way to rage.

"No Sky woman is worthy of protecting the Commander!" One bellows.

I run a hand through my hair. My people do not seem to get it. My bodyguards are chosen based on skill and loyalty, not where they come from.

"I protected her when she was rescuing Clarke," Octavia points out.

My men grunt and charge at her. She whirls like the wind, and in seconds, they are flat on their back. They look like human muscled turtles. They look at the sky, dazed and confused as to what just happened.

I have to admit, I am impressed with Octavia's skill in combat. I have known since we first fought together at the Mountain Men's base that she is strong. But I did not know the extent of her mastery of the art of fighting. Those are some of my best soldiers and she knocked them down as though they are flies rather than men that have been trained to fight since their youth.

I break from the circle surrounding them and stand over them. I keep my expression hard, though I know my eyes are dancing with amusement.

"Are you satisfied that your Commander is safe with the Sky soldier?" I say coldly, as though I think they implied that I do not know what is best for me.

"Yes, sorry, Heda," one of the conscious men croaks. "We were only concerned for your safety."

"I know. I would be fine traveling on my own with Clarke," Octavia and the men open their mouths to protest, but I cut them off, "but I know both my people and hers would worry. So I will travel with their best warrior."

Octavia looks flattered and happy that I think so highly of her. Sometimes I forget that my emotions hide better than a squirrel when it's hunted.

"Yes, Heda. Safe travels. I will inform the others of who you are going with."

I nod, "Tell them it is my wish to travel with them."

I do not wait for their answers. I hold my hand out, which Clarke takes immediately, and begin walking toward their gate. I do not have to look behind me to know that Octavia is just behind us. We are heading towards the meeting that may start a war.


	6. Chapter 6

"Did either of you bring anything?" Octavia asks once we've been walking for a while.

"I have my swords and emergency equipment," I shrug, not giving the conversation my full attention.

"For f u c k s sake," Octavia groans. "Don't worry, I brought stuff."

I listen to the chittering of the birds and the rustle of the leaves as the wind blows through them. Something feels off. I think we are being watched. Over the years I have learned to trust that prickling sensation.

I tap Octavia and squeeze Clarke's hand which hasn't left mine since we left their camp. Octavia gives me an annoyed look and Clarke just looks curious.

I keep a straight face and raise my eyebrows for only a second. It is a silent code we developed a while back to tell the others that the person thinks their unit is being watched or tracked. They both nod, their expressions grim.

I hope I am wrong. I want to believe there is a raccoon nearby or perhaps a deer, but I know that is not what is following us.

"So Octavia, how is Lincoln?" I try to distract them from the prying eyes. I do not want the staplers to know that we know what they are doing. And Octavia always jumps at the chance to swoon over him. It is sweet, yet almost disturbing how well those two go together. Like blood and a dagger.

I rub my thumb in circles over the back of Clarke's hand. It succeeds in distracting her.

"Oh God, Lincoln's great!" she gushes. "He's really nice and sweet, but at the same time muscly and sexy. Speaking of which, he's really good in bed. He does this thing where-"

"Please do not elaborate." I grimace. I have never found men appealing. They are too rough, too hardened for my taste. Knowing how a man and a woman has inter course is high on my list of thing I never want to know.

I understand that Clarke likes men as well as women, and I also understand that she gave herself to a man who was not who she thought he was. I know he hurt her, though she does not want to admit it. I want more than anything for her to know that I will never hurt her like he did. I would swear to her on my dying breath.

"Should we set up camp, bosses?" Octavia drawls.

She smirks at us and begins to build a tent. Clarke kisses my cheek and let's go of my hand to go help her. I feel a smile creep its way onto my face. I set up a mental perimeter of where we will have to patrol and manage to catch a rabbit as it tries to scurry past. I read in a story once that they used to hop. But that's impossible, at least now. Now they are the size of a small child with the legs of a wolf. I quickly kill it and make my way back to them.

Once we get a fire started to ward away the cold, I hear a rustling that definitely did not come from a beast. I unsheathe my sword but before I can even investigate, we are surrounded.


	7. Chapter 7

I scan the area with my eyes. There are eight men with their swords pointed at our throats. They seem like over muscled pieces of meat that have more weapons than IQ points. The only way to get out of this without getting Octavia or Clarke killed or injured is to be smarter than them. Though that will not be difficult.

There is only one with his sword pressed directly on my neck. He acts like he is their leader. I decide to play his game.

"We will not fight you." I say, knowing Clarke and Octavia will not like what I have to say. I shrug, "We are three women against eight men. There is no contest."

With their overinflated egos they think I mean that they will beat us easily.

"D a m n straight," the leader chuckles, eyeing me with obvious lust.

I ignore the bile threatening to climb up my throat and continue to speak. "Before you kill us is there any harm in telling us why?"

"I suppose not." I purse my lips to stifle a laugh at his attempt to use big words to impress us. "We were sent by the Ice Nation to follow you. To see if you do anything foolish. And to jump you when we got the chance." He licks his lips creepily. I have never been more happy that I like girls. "Which we did. And then," he presses his sword a little harder against my throat and I can feel blood drop slowly down my neck. I do not flinch. "We get to kill you," he smirks.

I feel Clarke's hand brush mine and know that it's time to fight back. We got the information. I can hardly wait to talk to the Ice Queen about this.

I pull out my swords and his face hardens. He pulls back his sword and gets into a fighting stance.

And the dance begins.

Clarke and Octavia tag team the other seven while I focus on their leader.

"You sure you want to do this little girl?" He questions as though he is trying to give me a way to get out of this bloody fight and die like a coward.

When I do not answer, he strikes. I block it easily and his swords flies away from him, sticking out perfectly from the ground.

He does not look impressed, not even when it is my sword at his throat.

I hear Octavia and Clarke step forward behind me and know his other men are dead.

"For your information, you ignorant toad, these two got me out of a Mountain Men camp. Alone. And Lexa got stabbed in the stomach, but still managed to kill another twenty soldiers. Only one from the other side survived. There were more than a hundred that died." Clarke says coldly.

I almost smile at her words, but do not want my enemy to see weakness in my heart. My girlfriend just called a man that tried to murder us and her best friend an ignorant toad. Gods, she is extraordinary.

He even looks scared now. I know there are no more words left to be said, so I cut his throat. His eyes roll back before he crumples to the ground in a mess of blood.


	8. Chapter 8

I search his fallen body, looking for clues as to who sent him. I pull his wallet out of his pocket and open it. I curse quietly, forgetting for a moment that Clarke doesn't understand my first language.

"He has Ice Nation money. Their queen..." I mutter a few more curses in my anger. "Sent them to die. She knows I am stronger than them." I stand up. "We will have to confront her."

Octavia wipes her bloodied hands on the moss of a nearby tree. "Something tells me that won't end well."

"Considering my last confrontation ended in the war between us, I would say that no, it will not end well."

Clarke step forward and places a comforting hand on my shoulder. I feel myself calm instantly at her touch. I ignore Octavia's exaggerated gagging at us.

"What did you confront her about last time?" Clarke asks gently, giving me a look that says that she is find if I refuse to answer.

But she has been dragged forcefully by that evil witch of a woman into this mess. She deserves to know all she can.

"She kidnapped Costia." I say quietly. Only around her do I allow myself the emotions that rage in my heart to show on my face and in my voice.

"There wasn't a war when she was kidnapped?" Octavia questions.

"No. She wanted me as her bride and I refused, saying I loved Costia. So she kidnapped her. Her men took her from my arms one night and I never saw her alive again." I take a deep breath and Clarke moves so she can wrap her arm around my shoulder. "I told her that I knew she kidnapped her and she was enraged. She claimed since I was accusing her of such an atrocious act, I was not only insulting her but her people. She declared war on us the next day. A month into the fighting she sent Costia's mutilated body back in a box."

Clarke kisses my cheek and rubs my arm. I relax and lean against her. She presses her lips to the top of my head before Octavia speaks.

"I guess they don't call her the Ice Queen for nothing," she jokes halfheartedly. I do not need to look up to know that Clarke is glaring at her. She holds up her hands, "Sorry. Too soon for me to be funny. Got it."

I turn my head and kiss Clarke gently until Octavia clears her throat.

Clarke rests her head on my shoulder, "What?"

"Do you guys need me to go away for a bit because if you guys are going to-"

"We haven't got that far yet, O. And now's not the time."

I am slightly proud that I know what Octavia is talking about. She often makes explicit jokes just to make us squirm uncomfortably.

"If you do not mind the scent of blood and corpses we can sleep before we set off."

Clarke nods and walks us to the tent, holding on to me tight as if she is scared I am going to run away. We settle in to one of the two pelts Octavia brought. She walks in a moment later and gives me a small I'm-sorry smile before settling down. Clarke snuggles into me and I fall into the most restful sleep than I have had in months.


	9. Chapter 9

After last night, we are quietly packing up and ignoring the stench of the bodies littered around us.

"Is there anything we should know about the other leaders before we get there?" Octavia questions as she shoves the tent and pelts into her giant backpack. I am surprised she can carry such a large thing without toppling over.

"If, or rather when the Ice Nation declares war on both of us, the others will not try to stop it. Or join a side. They are hoping that we kill each other off enough so we can become their slaves and they can take our land and resources."

"Harsh," Octavia comments.

I pull cooked meat from hidden pockets and pass pieces to them. "It may be harsh, but it is how they have survived so long. There will be food, but allow me to check them out first. It may be poisoned. I know how to tell if the food is not safe." Clarke pales slightly and I move so that I am next to her and wrap an arm around her shoulders. "You will be fine, I promise."

Clarke gives me a sad smile. "It's not just me that I'm worried about."

"I will not neglect checking my food. We, all three of us, we will be okay."

"Whoa, they might poison me?"

"If only to get you out of the way so that they can get to us. I suggest trying not to look too intimidating, otherwise they will think that they may not be able to take you in a fight."

"But they can't." Octavia looks offended at the mere suggestion.

"They don't know that," Clarke says. She is smart, of course she caught on so quickly. "So seem tough enough to be the Commander's guard, but vulnerable enough that they think you're nothing special." Octavia seems like she is going to protest. "Even though you are. Please, O. It's the only way you'll be safe."

"Safer," I add. There is always danger in guarding leaders. And Octavia is guarding two.

"Alright, fine. I'll act like I'm not as awesome as I am," she huffs. "What about the Ice Queen?"

"She will be intimidating. She will threaten us and try to get I our heads. We cannot let her. Clarke, she will flirt with me and attempt to court me. Do not let her get to you. I will make it clear that I am taken. By you. And most of all, do not eat or drink anything she gives to you. Either of you." I meet both of their eyes before I continue. "Or you may collapse and never wake again."

Clarke reaches out and grabs my hand, squeezing it lightly to show that she understands. Octavia nods.

"She sounds like a horrible person," Octavia says and wrinkles her nose. I can tell she is running over what I said in her mind.

"She is. It is impossible to put into words the true extent of her cruelty and hatred for those I care for."


	10. Chapter 10

We walk silently. Clarke and I lead, hand in hand. Octavia is a few paces behind us, but is never far. I am grateful that they both-hopefully-understand the danger they are in.

It breaks my heart to know that they are only here because of me. Because they are my allies. And because if this, they may go to war. War is kind to no man, not is it sympathetic to any widow's pleas. War claims lives, and I fear the day we will know the true casualties.

My dread grows with every step. Clarke seems to pick up on this and gently squeezes my hand. I turn my head to look at her and she smiles. It is not as bright as I would like. She knows that this day could turn out to be one of the worst of our lives.

Though the absolute worst, for me, are when I thought she was dead. That was truly horrible. I hope I never have to go through such a dark place again. Though with our lives, I know that is unrealistic.

I just pray to the gods that she never finds out what that feels like. It would darken the light in her heart. I would wish that pain on no person. Except perhaps the Ice Queen. With all of the misery she had caused, it is easy sometimes to forget that she is in fact human.

I pause. We are close. I have to warn Clarke. I have been warning her our entire journey, but I neglected to reveal one piece of information that could let her know how the Ice Queen is. I do not want her to underestimate her enemy.

Though she is not the type to be so arrogant to do so.

"Lexa?" Clarke's words snap me out of my mind. "Are you okay?"

Octavia seems to understand that I want to speak to her alone, so she stays further back, just out of hearing range. If we speak quietly, of course.

"Yes. It just occurred to me that I did not tell you of one thing." I hesitate. Saying the words make the danger I am putting them in more real. Plus it drags up bad memories.

What happened... it broke me. I acted like I cared for no one while few slipped through the cracks of the walks I built around myself. Anya, Gustus... but they're dead too.

Clarke helps me put myself back together. And I could not be more grateful. I am no longer hiding from my emotions.

"It's okay. If it makes you uncomfortable, you don't have to tell me." Clarke reassures me.

I just give her a smile I did not know existed before her. It is one of pure adoration, of lov-weakness.

"Do not worry about such things. It is just that it brings up memories of a dark time in my life."

"Of course I worry." Clarke takes my other hand in hers. She is silent, letting me gather the words to say.

"When she sent Costia back...her body back, she was missing her head."


	11. Chapter 11

"They decapitated her?" Clarke questions. I can barely hear her over the sounds of the forest.

"After they tortured her. They mutilated her after she died to get to me."

Clarke looks like someone kicked her wolf pup. She moves closer, stopping for a moment, searching my eyes and letting me know silently that I can pull away.

Why would I ever want to?

She wraps her arms around me and I melt into the embrace. Sometimes it just hits me how much different I have become since Clarke and I began dating. At first, I stiffened at her touch and a hug like this one would make me slightly uncomfortable.

I come out of my thoughts enough to realize she's whispering something into my shoulder. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. I'm sorry..."

"It is fine, Clarke." I murmur back. I do not want her to be sad on my account. "What's done is done. We cannot change the past."

She pulls back slightly and presses her lips to my cheek. I close my eyes for a moment to take in her confidence, her affection. I can feel her smile against me and it can hear Octavia walking up to us. Clarke keeps ahold of my hand but untangles our bodies so we can move once more towards what will certainly be unpleasant, to say the least.

"Are you ready to see the Ice B i t c h?" Octavia asks as she links arms with Clarke.

I smile, knowing that she is correct. The Ice Queen is not kind in any person's eyes. Yet she has her eyes on me. I still cannot fathom why she wants me. Probably as a trophy.

And why does Clarke like me? I have so much... 'baggage' as Octavia calls it.

Lovely. Depressing thoughts before a depressing meeting. This will be interesting. The Ice Queen will hate Clarke the moment she sees her. I can only hope she will not even attempt to harm her. Wishful thinking.

We reach the entrance of TonDC quicker than I would like. If we never got there it would still be too soon. I lead them past people that smile and wave, though when they think when I am not looking, they glare at Clarke and Octavia.

The meeting place is easy to find. There are multiple guards with different armor.

We walk past them and they let all of us through. The only reason Octavia is let in is because each leader is allowed one guard inside.

"There are so many soldiers out there," Octavia comments as she walks in.

"It is a show of wealth and power, meant to intimidate. I do not care for such games, and the other leaders have learned to respect that." I respond.

The others' version of politics bores me. The other leaders would rather have their men flex their oversized arms than have a conversation on what must be done. They did not like my no nonsense attitude at first.

They assumed I was weak for not playing their games. Only once I took down their best men single-handed they no longer argued.

"Lexa," that voice sends hatred through my body. She killed my first, and until Clarke, only love. The Ice Queen.


	12. Chapter 12

I tense automatically at the sound of her voice as adrenaline floods my veins, begging me to rip her heart out with my bare hands.

Clarke looks back and forth between us, taking in the Ice Queen's fancy intricately woven white dress and her snow flake earrings and the burning hatred I know is in my eyes. But I can hide it well so no one but her can tell that I am aching to kill the woman in front of me.

Clarke places her hand on my lower arm before sliding it down and interlacing our fingers. I feel my body reacting instantly to her touch, relaxing.

The Ice Queen's eyes follow us as she silently watches us interact and her porcelain face cracks slightly into a frown. She goes back to her cool exterior as quickly as it broke. She keeps that unnatural smile as she speaks.

"You must be the leader of the Sky People."

I bristle as she addresses Clarke though her thumb rubs my tension away.

"Yes, my name is Clarke. And you are?" She cocks her head slightly and I can see the twitch of her mouth that means she is trying to fight a smile. She is adorable when she's pissing off my archenemy.

The Ice Queen's smile falters for a moment. "You may have heard about me from Lexa. I am the Queen of the Ice People."

Clarke shakes her head slowly, giving a thoughtful frown before saying, "Nope. She didn't mention you. Why?" She is better at lying than I would have guessed. I bite my lip to hold back a laugh and Clarke's eyes drift down to stare at my lips before returning to stare down my enemy.

The Ice Queen smirks and my heart almost stops beating in my chest at the sight. I recognize her evil plan face. I squeeze Clarke's hand lightly, wishing I could warn her.

"Well, she should have! We are to be married."

The Ice Queen watches Clarke's face as she lies but Clarke does not seem angry or seem like she wants to break up with me. That is always a good sign. I should say something even though Clarke does not seem to believe her.

I hope that she knows there is no one in my heart but her.

"We are never getting married," I make eye contact with her and she just seems amused.

"We'll see." She smiles. What does she have planned?

"Lexa just clearly said that she won't marry you. Ever. So please, do yourself a favor so I don't have to repeat myself, and f u c k off."

The Ice Queen raises her eyebrows but Clarke does not back down even when she tries to glare her into submission.

"As you wish. The meeting begins tomorrow at dawn. Bye, Lexa."

She walks past us, brushing shoulders with me.

"To you I am the Commander or Commander Lexa. Never just Lexa."


	13. Chapter 13

I can see that my words have affected the Ice Queen; she has tensed but she refuses to turn around. She continues walking away.

This is not like her. Normally she would-

"I am to take you to your room," a young boy says, looking down at our shoes.

The other leaders have 'trained' the workers at our meeting place not to them in the eye. As if they are any better than anyone. I tap my foot twice, a signal that he can look at me. Once he sees my face, he pales.

"C-commander." He stutters, his eyes wide. "It is an honor to serve you." He glances at Clarke briefly before his gaze returns to me. "I am to take you and the Sky Princess and your guard to your room. I understand you do not want separate rooms?"

I look to Clarke, knowing that she does not like to be called Princess. And I would never decide anything for the two of us without talking to her first.

"That's fine, thank you." She gives him her beautiful kind smile which seems to fluster him even more. 

"N-no problem, Princess. Follow me, please." He scurries off , pausing every once in a while to check that we are not too far back for his liking.

He unlocks the door, waving us inside before disappearing.

Of course we get the room with only two beds. Leaders and their insisting on fancy beds instead of the traditional pelts.

"There's only two beds," Clarke points out.

Octavia sits on the single bed, wiggling her eyebrows at us. "As long as I don't hear you guys, I'm fine here."

"Octavia!" Clarke smacks her shoulder.

"If you are uncomfortable sharing a bed with me I could sleep on the floor," I offer.

"No, it's fine, don't worry."

I give her what I hope is a comforting smile before I let my mind wander back to my worst enemy. I have been around her enough to know that she is unpredictable and insane but she is smart.

Earlier, she was not in a war path and did not seem like she wants to declare war on us. She seemed almost smug. Like she has a plan and it's all going well. Like she has me underneath her thumb.

"What is it, Lexa?" Clarke notices me doing what Octavia and Raven jokingly call "brooding".

"Earlier, the Ice Queen did not seem like she wants to declare war. She looked smug."

Octavia nods, serious. "I noticed that too. Plus, what was up with the horrible assassination attempt? It was like she wasn't even trying to kill us."

Something clicks into place in my mind. "She knew they would fail. They were sent to anger us. To make us declare war on her."

"What? Why?" Clarke frowns and sits on her... our bed. Tonight will be fun.

D a m n it, Lexa. Focus.

"I do not know. She is not sane but I am sure that it is to make us seem like the bad guys."

"Well, we can't let her win," Octavia says, leaning back.

"We won't. We won't declare war until there's no other choice."


	14. Chapter 14

Sleeping next to Clarke this time isn't like the other times. She is once again in danger. The Ice Queen wants her head.

Octavia is a good guard but sleeps like the fallen. I am not sure she would wake up if her bed caught on fire.

I am a light sleeper, which is why I will let myself sleep tonight rather than eyeing the door, warily waiting for an assassin to burst in.

As a precaution, I tell her to take the side of the bed that is closer to the wall. I do not know what I have done to deserve her. She does not question me, does not ask why, she trusts that I am worried for her safety.

And I am.

I maneuver myself so I am almost on top of her, draping myself across her. Clarke does not complain. On the contrary, she strokes my hair gently as I angle myself so my face is hidden in her shoulder. I make sure both ears are not pressed against anything.

I have trained myself to wake up at the slightest sound of a footstep.

I can only hope that this will be enough to keep Clarke safe from the Ice Queen's wrath.

She presses her lips to my forehead and whispers "thank you" and that makes everything worth it.

I would give up anything to keep her safe and happy.

I gently kiss her exposed neck, my lips twitching into a smile as I hear her breath hitch.

I will keep her safe even if it takes me until I draw my last breath to do so.

I "snuggle"-Raven once caught us sleeping in her room and teased us before telling me what the term means-further into Clarke's neck and close my eyes.

I awaken to hear a snort. In my sleepy state, I roll myself completely over Clarke, trapping her beneath my body to shield her from harm. She makes a quiet "oof" sound.

I ignore the fact that her face is in my chest and blink tiredness out of my eyes.

The door is closed and Octavia is sitting up on her bed, amusement shining in her eyes. "Sorry, did I interrupt something?"

I move off of Clarke, giving her a silent apology with my eyes. She kisses my cheek in response and wraps her arms around me.

"Stop being so cute," Octavia groans, "it's too early for that."

"At least we are not waking up the entire encampment with moaning in the morning." I murmur, but Octavia hears me and blushes furiously.

"Okay, that was one time..."

"It was so not one time." Clarke frowns at her friend.

I am not at the Ark as often as she is and I know as well it was more than several times.

"Don't be mad because I get laid." Octavia manages to sound insulted, though I can see she is fighting a losing battle against a smile.

"Everyone's mad because you're loud as hell, O."

"Shut up. It's nearly time for the meeting anyways."


	15. Chapter 15

The leaders question us and I almost feel as if we are on trial. They do seem wary of Clarke. They ask about the Ark and what has happened since they fell from the sky.

Some of the older male leaders' eyes flicker between us. We are sitting close to one another and I would bet my life they have heard that we are sharing not only a guard but also a room.

A younger one catches my eyes and winks as if he thinks he knows we have done something.

They seem confused at our apparent closeness once Clarke gets to the point in our history where she burnt 300 of my warriors alive. And I notice with satisfaction that they seem impressed when we talk about what happened with the Mountain Men and after that, Clarke's kidnapping.

I keep a neutral expression, but it's difficult when other leaders look almost awed at how we rescued her. Though she did help with the escape, so I am not sure rescue is the right term.

"What about you two?" The Ice Queen purrs. "You seem awfully close for two comrades."

"Are our personal lives any of your concern?" I question.

"Only if it's a threat to my people." The Ice Queen looks quite smug again and I feel my hand reach out for Clarke underneath the table. She grounds me so I do not launch myself over the table. Though it still is very tempting.

"Our relationship is of no threat to you." I make eye contact with each leader until they glance away. "Any of you."

The Ice Queen smiles. She has something up her sleeve. "Of course not. How did you enjoy my welcoming committee?"

She is trying to lure us into a rage.

"They were not very welcoming. They attacked us and now they are all dead. You can collect their bodies if you wish. We left them a few hundred paces back."

"Madame, you sent warriors to them? Surely that is a declaration of war."

They look like they want desperately for an excuse to fight. Men. War is kind to no person.

"I do not see it as such," I say, interrupting their gruesome fantasies. "Until there is a formal declaration."

"Formal?" Clarke asks me quietly.

"Written and signed by the Queen herself." I explain.

"I won't be the one issuing one, I can promise you that," the Ice Queen's evil glint in her eyes sends an ice cold spike of dread into me.

I will certainly not sleep tonight. If she did not attack last night, it is almost guaranteed that she will strike tonight and try to ignite the flames of war.

She is mad. Insanity seems to be her most prominent feature. And there's no doubt in my mind that as soon as we close our eyes to rest, she will try to kill us. Or at least Clarke. She may still have that odd obsession with me.

I will be ready for whatever or whoever she sends our way.


	16. Chapter 16

After dinner we head back to our room. Octavia's device crackles as she shits the door behind us.

"Hey, black bird, what's up?"

"If you can call me that because of my name I can refer to you guys as 'the threesome'."

Octavia and Claeke turn white.

"Hell no." Octavia retorts, her voice slightly shaky.

"What is bad about a 'threesome'?" I question.

Clarke blushes and leans in. She whispers, "It's when three people have sex."

I frown. "Together? Is that possible?"

Octavia starts laughing, "Man, Ravan, I wish you could hear this conversation. The Commander doesn't know what a threesome is."

"It is not my fault your people are more sexually adventurous than mine."

Clarke rests her head on my shoulder while I can hear Raven laughing through the device.

"How are things there? Any wars declared yet?"

"Not yet." Octavia sighs, "but the Ice Queen really wants to start something."

Clarke presses her lips gently to my neck. I kiss her forehead gently before maneuvering us so we are sitting on our bed while Octavia continues her conversation with Raven.

"Have they jumped each other's bones yet?" Raven asks.

"Nope. They're more patient than I am. I can't wait to get back."

"Please go further into the forest with Lincoln. We could all hear your screams." A small smirk makes it's way onto my face as I see how flustered my comment has made Octavia.

"Oh shut up. You and Clarke are so sickeningly adorable your teeth will rot out."

"Don't be jealous, O," Clarke teases. "Green isn't a good color on you."

Perhaps that is another reference only Sky People understand. I will have to ask sometime.

"Don't lie, I look good in every color."

"You two bicker like an old married couple," Raven comments. "And as fun as this is, I need to get back to work and you all need to sleep. Night, threesome."

Octavia groans quietly and sets the device on the floor near her bed. She flops on her back, closes her eyes and almost immediately starts snoring softly.

Clarke and I lay down as well, our legs tangled together. I lay my head on her shoulder and shift my body so my back is facing the door.

She presses her lips to mine and it feels as though time itself has stopped and the only thing that remains is the feeling of Clarke and I. It is not an urgent kiss, but a slow passionate one that makes me want to make sure this feeling of an extraordinary amount of happiness never ends.

I pour all the feelings I have bottled up my entire life into this kiss. We part and I open my eyes slowly to see that she has closed hers. I smile at the sight of how her mouth slightly parts as she falls asleep. I allow myself to relax and am almost unconscious when I hear the distinct sound of our door opening.

I tense and freeze at the feeling of the cold metal of a knife at my back.


	17. Chapter 17

I rub my thumb against Clarke's arm less gently than I usually do.

I hope she notices. She needs to wake up. She is vulnerable when she is asleep.

"Get up slowly," someone whispers. He sounds so close that he must be the one with the knife to my back.

"Clarke," I murmur in her ear as I comply, gradually moving my body until I am standing up.

My back is facing my enemy and my mind is screaming at me, reminding me what happened the last time I did so.

Costia got taken.

Clarke stirs, and reaches back to find me. Her face wrinkles slightly in confusion when she only finds warm bed sheets.

There is a knife to your back not a cannon. You can fight your way out of this.

I twist, frowning when I hear the back of my sleep shirt rip. I punch his wrist and he drops the knife. It falls with a clatter.

Both Clarke and Octavia jolt up.

There is only one overly muscled man. Does she think that he can take me alone? Two more oversized men squeeze through the door. Of course not.

The two split, one headed for each of them.

I move towards Clarke to help and she shakes her head and gives me a reassuring smile.

The man I am supposed to focus on probably got annoyed that I am ignoring him and focusing on my girlfriend because his fist is hitting my face.

I turn toward him with a bored expression. This is one of the worst assassination attempts I have seen. Though they are Ice warriors, so I know they are not after me.

Clarke is holding her own, but not without getting hit by that behemoth.

She wants me to let her handle this and I will respect her wishes. But if that man hurts her too badly... He will be sent home in little pieces.

I hit the man in front of me in the gut. He stumbles back a few paces with his face turning red. He looks toward the knife currently on the floor near me then at my bored expression.

Is he trying to make this easy for me?

I step on the hilt of the knife as he dives for it. It flies up just high enough for me to snatch it midair.

Dealing with assassins was one of the first things I was taught. This is child's play to me.

He looks awed at my trick.

"Yu gonplei ste odon." I look into his eyes, a sign of respect between warriors.

I use his knife to slice his throat open. He silently crumples to the ground.

Octavia is playing with her opponent, having fun beating the man to a bloody pulp.

Clarke has cuts and bruises and is struggling, but has a fierce determined expression.

I touch her shoulder lightly, asking her without using words if she wants my help or the knife. She holds out her hand as the overgrown child grabs her arms roughly. I place the knife's hilt in her palm, making sure not to accidentally cut her.

She moves it around for a bit, giving him time to give up or run. He is stubborn.

Clarke plunges the knife into his chest, right where his heart is.

I guess being the daughter of a medic has it's uses.


	18. Chapter 18

The man drops like a squirrel shot from a tree, landing lifelessly with a loud thump.

The calm air that was surrounding Clarke evaporates and she lets out a shaky breath. I would recognize that sound anywhere. I made the same sound after just one day of being Commander.

"Octavia. Go get the guards and tell them what happened. Inform them that some are needed to remove the bodies. I would like one guard posted at our door." She hesitates, glancing at Clarke and then back at me. I nod to her. I will take care of Clarke.

Octavia luckily seems to understand and leaves quietly.

I walk towards Clarke and gently turn her around. She looks at me with broken eyes. I lean in and kiss her cheek. I wrap my arms around her and she collapses into my embrace.

I move us slowly toward our bed. I set her down on it before I climb on. I immediately hug her again.

I hold her silently as she trembles in my arms. The last thing she needs is sympathy, let alone words to make her sink deeper into the recesses of her mind.

I press my lips to her forehead for a moment and she gradually embraces me as well. She burrows her head into the crook of my neck and her body stills. I allow myself to truly smile. The woman I lov- am dating is here in my arms.

My once icy heart is melting and Clarke is the one holding a torch to it.

Her breaths quickly get deeper as she falls asleep and I fight the urge to shift as her warm breath hits my collarbone.

Heavily armed guards walk in and take the bodies, not acknowledging us.

I can hear one stop and stay near our door. Octavia did well giving out orders. I might have to talk to Clarke about making Octavia her second. She is a good warrior and well respected among my people.

She slips in, shutting the door behind her. Her eyes immediately land on Clarke and her entire body relaxes when she sees us.

"Is she okay?" Octavia questions, keeping her voice soft so she will not wake her best friend.

She knows as well as I do that Clarke does not like to be woken up. 'Unless the world's ending, let me sleep' she has told Octavia that multiple times.

She would kill me of she knew I think this, but Clarke is utterly adorable in mornings. She will mumble "no" and turn her face away from the light. Octavia has had to get me on more than one occasion to wake her up because Clarke will not hit me as hard as she hits her friends that dare to wake her.

"She will be."

Octavia gives me a tired yet relieved smile and mouths whipped. She then ungracefully flops onto her bed and falls asleep instantly, her mouth slightly agape as she snores quietly.

I turn my attention back to Clarke, who is burrowing into my chest. I pull the pelts over us and fall into a more peaceful sleep than I have had in a long time.


	19. Chapter 19

When I wake up and open my eyes, Clarke is already awake and watching me with kind eyes.

"Sorry if I scared you last night." She murmurs, brushing a strand of hair from my face.

I lean forward and kiss her cheek gently. "I was concerned, but I went through the same thing years ago so I knew you needed to be held rather than bombarded with questions. I am glad you are okay."

Curiosity lights up her eyes, but she does not ask about my experiences. She presses her lips to mine and I relax into the kiss, threading my fingers through her hair.

Octavia clears her throat obnoxiously until we part. "Sorry to interrupt your morning make out session, but we need to head to an impromptu meeting before we leave."

I sigh and rest my forehead against Clarke's. "They most likely will want to know if we have changed our minds about not declaring war."

"Have we?" Octavia questioned, glancing at the dried bloodstains that have not yet been cleaned.

"No. They attacked us, not our people. Though I am tempted." I brush Clarke's slightly cut and bruised face gently with my fingers. I frown when she winces , though she tries to hide her reaction. "If they hurt you again..." I trail off.

"You'll murder them all." Octavia drawls. "You two are so sweet I'm going to get cavities, so stop it. Get your lazy asses up and get dressed for this meeting. I'll stand outside with the guard." She opens the door and looks back at us. "No sex. Keep it in your pants, Griffin."

Clarke blushes and throws our pillow at the door. I can hear Octavia snickering as it hits the now closed door with a delicate fwump.

I get up from the bed, flinching slightly at the cold dirt floor. I turn to Clarke, who is watching me with an amused smile and hold out my hand. She grabs it and I pull her up and out of bed.

Octavia left clean clothes on her bed. The ones she has for me are not my usual clothes. Clarke attempts to cover up her laugh with a cough.

"At least she knows your style. A black button up as dark as her sense if humor and jeans. Nice." Clarke comments.

I can feel Octavia's ego inflate. She, no doubt, can hear us through the door.

"Please do not encourage her. I can wear my armor."

"You've been wearing it for the past three days or so. I'll wash it when we go back to the Ark. Please wear this?" She gives me a pleading look.

Apparently, I can deny her nothing.

"Fine." I grumble.

I begin to pull off my armor and Clarke is definitely blushing again. I pretend I do not notice how she stares as I change.

"You look great," she assures me.

"You are biased."

"So? Doesn't make it any less true."

I feel my face hear up. "Are you going to change?"

"Oh yeah. I just got distracted." Clarke wiggles her eyebrows at me, smiling.

I laugh and give her a quick kiss. I turn my back so she can change in peace.

She touches my arm lightly and presses her lips to my cheek. "Let's get this over with."


	20. Chapter 20

"You are certainly going to declare war now, right?" A leader questions. It sounds more like a statement.

"No." The other leaders gasp. "These attacks were directed towards me, not my people. I am replaceable." I see Clarke frown at my words out of the corner of my eye. I stare directly into the Ice Queen's eyes as I say my next words. "If you ever harm Clarke or one of our people again..." I trail off, letting their minds full in the blank.

Let me just say it will not be pleasant. And may involve torture.

"Whatever, Lexa." The Ice Queen has the nerve to wink at me before she walks away, followed by her many personal guards.

My mouth is pressed into a thin line. I told her not to call me that. As if she would listen to anyone but herself and the madness she spews.

If I never see her again it would be too soon.

I stand, holding out my hand to help Clarke up. She flashes me a grateful smile and we leave without a word.

"Why is that crazy bitch so obsessed with you?" Octavia questions once we are in the forest.

"I have no idea."

I feel myself relaxing once I am once again away from the politics and madness of the others. The fact that Clarke is still holding my hand is calming me down as well.

Those old fools are selfish and bathed in unnecessary luxury. There is no reason for us to eat feasts while our people starve.

"How old is she?" Octavia playfully kicks a rock and I fight a scowl as it hits me in the shoulder.

"I am not sure. I have known her since I first became Commander and she has not seemed to age a day."

"Maybe she's immortal," Octavia wiggles her fingers dramatically when I look back at her.

"Perhaps," I shrug.

"How long have you been Commander?" Clarke asks.

"How long have you been eighteen?" Octavia mocks, making her voice deeper and raspier.

"I am not eighteen, I am nineteen." Is this yet another reference I do not get? Clarke and Octavia burst out in giggles. It probably is a reference. "I have been Commander since I was ten, so nine years."

I feel a tug in my hand and notice that Clarke and Octavia have both stopped.

"You've been Commander since you were ten?" I cannot tell if Octavia is horrified, impressed, or a mix of the two.

"It is something I was born to be, and the former Commander died suddenly. The elders tracked their spirit to me. Anya and Indra helped me with my duties for the first year or so."

"No wonder you weren't fazed by the assassins." Octavia murmurs.

Clarke grimaces as though she just though of something incredibly unpleasant. "When was your first assassination attempt?"

"When I was first sworn in, a man attempted to shoot me with a crossbow."

"You were ten? And they tried to kill you?" Clarke is squeezing my hand pretty hard. I am not sure if she notices, though I am impressed by her strength.


	21. Chapter 21

"Yes. I was ten. It scared me, but I have the spirit of the previous Commanders in me. They did not allow me to dwell on it. Nor did Anya or Indra. In time, I became numb to everything but the pain of my people."

"What changed?" Octavia is not giving me that pitying look I despise, which I am thankful for.

I just glance at Clarke, giving her a smile. "I learned that love is not weakness."

She blushes and leans in to kiss my cheek.

"You two are too cute. Seriously." Octavia grabs the device from where it clings to the waistband of her pants. "You should see this, Reyes. The Commander is actually a softie and they're being too cute. It's almost sickening." She complains.

I roll my eyes and turn to face Clarke. A gust of wind blows her golden hair gently and I cannot help thinking that if my ancestors sent a perfect being to this earth, there would be no doubt it would be Clarke. Or perhaps she is one of those "angels" I have read about.

I move closer to her slowly and her eyes flicker from my eyes to my lips. I brush a wisp of hair from where it obstructs her face and tuck it behind her ear. Clarke takes a deep breath and looks at me with a hooded expression. I softly press my lips to hers and watch her eyes flutter shut a moment before mind do the same.

We move as one and I bring up a hand to tenderly cup her face.

"Raven you should see this shit. They're making out right in front of me. They better keep it in their pants." I feel Clarke smile into the kiss and it becomes sloppy until we both pull back and glare at Octavia. "Ooh, double death glare."

Raven's laughter crackles from the device and the spell is broken. I entwine my hand with Clarke's and she blushes lightly, letting out a shaky breath.

My heart is beating so fast I am sure Raven can hear it through her device. I am glad Clarke is just as affected as I am by that kiss.

"As much as I hate to break up their steamy moment, Abby is in a really bad mood and I think it'd be best if you come back. Like, now. She almost arrested me for breathing too loud. Not even kidding. Kane talked her down, luckily, but still."

Clarke grimaces, "Don't worry, we're on our way."

She gives me an apologetic glance, her body already tensing. I understand completely, however. Her concern for her mother and her people.

Rather than telling her not to worry and that it's okay, I raise her hand to my lips and press a gentle kiss to it.

Clarke relaxes and kisses my cheek before we begin our trek back to the Ark.


	22. Chapter 22

Clarke's mother rushes up to us as soon as we get inside the gates.

She cups Clarke's face and turns it back and forth, studying her daughter intently.

"You said it was a meeting. Why did it take this long?" Abby demands, worry evident in the tenseness of her shoulders.

"The other leaders are more of politicians and enjoy taking their time," I explain.

"I didn't ask you," she snaps. I stand quietly, knowing that she is only being rude because she is concerned for her daughter. Chancellor Abby pales when she sees the dark bruise coloring her daughter's face from the assassin. "Are you okay?" She turns to me and glares. "What did you do?"

"She didn't hurt me." Clarke steps back, letting her mother's outstretched arm fall to her side.

I reach out and grab Clarke's hand, rubbing my thumb gently across her skin. She seems agitated and tired. I would bet my life she does not want to deal with her mother's open hatred for me at the moment. And I do not blame her. The past few days have been extremely draining for her.

"Who did?" Clarke's mother is still glaring at me, silently blaming me with her eyes.

"Can we not talk about this here? Or now?"

I begin to lead her towards the Ark, intent on letting her rest. Chancellor Abby reaches out and grabs Clarke's wrist.

"Who hurt you?"

"Chancellor, please. She is exhausted, we can talk soon."

"Where do you think you're going, then? You're definitely not going to sleep next to my daughter, you could take advantage of her like you did our trust," she snarls.

"Hey," Octavia has a look on her face that tells me she is trying to refrain from punching her Chancellor in the face. Why is she so angry? Is it because she's holding Clarke's wrist too tight? "Let her go."

She looks down at where the skin of her hand has turned white from gripping her daughter too hard. She mumbles out an apology and lets go.

"I didn't like the Commander at first either. I didn't trust her and frankly I thought she was setting us up to break Clarke's heart again. But she didn't. This woman helped us, and she didn't have to. She got fucking stabbed trying to save your daughter. And you cannot stand here and tell me they don't love each other. It's almost sickening to be around them sometimes with the heart eyes and the cutesy words. They slept in the same bed at TonDC, but nothing happened. No one is taking advantage of anyone in that relationship. I don't know what your problem is, but it shouldn't be with the Commander."

Raven pokes Octavia in the side, grinning widely and gives her what Clarke has informed me is a "high five".

Clarke's mother storms off, back into the Ark with a huff.

"Thank you," I tell Octavia.

"No problem. Sorry for blowing up at your mom, Princess, but she's being completely unreasonable."

I cock an eyebrow at Clarke, smirking. "Princess?"

Clarke groans and glares at Octavia, who is laughing with Raven. Lincoln comes up behind Octavia and wraps his arms around her, pressing his lips to her cheek.

She turns her head until they start kissing.

I still do not see the appeal of kissing men, but that is just me.

"Get a room, you two." Raven snickers.

"Perhaps they will go to the forest again. If you do, please try to be quieter. We can all hear you both screaming." I say.

Octavia and Lincoln part, blushing.

"No promises," Octavia's eyes are dancing with glee as she pulls him away. The guards open the gate for them with clear discomfort on their faces.

Clarke pulls on my hand. I press a kiss to her cheek before walking along side her back to her room.

I freeze for a moment at the door. Her bed is hardly big enough for two. Maybe I should sleep on the floor again. I look around for a spare blanket.

"Oh no you don't." Clarke steers me toward the bed.

"I can sleep on the floor," I offer.

"We can share the bed."

"We have to be nearly sleeping on top of each other to fit," I point out nervously.

"I like to cuddle."

"I don't want to make you uncomfortable..."

"And you're not. Come on."

She gives me that pleading look she has learned will make me do anything she says. I can deny her nothing.

"Very well."

Clarke gives me a wide grin and digs in a wardrobe, pulling out clothes. As soon as she begins to take off her shirt, I flush and turn away.

"I'm done, you can look now." I turn to see Clarke in a nearly see through white shirt and incredibly short shorts. I think my brain shut off at the sight. She is gorgeous. "Do you need sleep clothes?"

I shake my head mutely. She shrugs.

I get into the bed, underneath the cool covers. She slides in and wraps her arms around my waist, snuggling into me and tangling our legs together.


	23. Chapter 23

I wake before Clarke does. Our faces are mere inches apart and while I am tempted to close the distance, I take the time to study her. The contradicting softness and hardness of her face, the thin wisps of blonde hair that have fallen to cover her face as she sleeps. There is no doubt that she is beautiful.

I am extraordinarily lucky that she has given me a second look, let alone this gorgeous being has agreed to date me. And she loves me. For reasons I cannot fathom. But I know she does. Not only has she said those three words that I never thought I would hear again but I see it in everything she does.

I can see how much she cares when she looks at me with that expression that makes me melt. When she moves closer, even when she's unconscious. When we are fighting and she battles along side me. When she kisses me with such passion that time itself seems to stop. When she holds my hand, even when she does not have to. When she defends me. The list, of that list could go on forever. As could the ways I betray the fact that I love her in what I do. I hope she knows how much she means to me.

"Morning, beautiful." Clarke's voice is raspy and her blue eyes warm my heart.

"If beauty were a contest, you would win against everyone. Including me, love."

She drapes an arm over my shoulder, blushing. "Nonsense."

"I stand by my words," I smile at her lovingly and kiss her gently.

When we part, she looks at me with hooded eyes. "Do you want to go for a walk? And maybe a picnic? Just the two of us?" Is she hoping we'll... "We won't do anything you don't want or aren't ready for. I just..." Her expression softens, "I want to spend time with you where no one will barge in with a new crisis."

"I would love to, Clarke. Being with you with no interruptions sounds great."

Her eyes brighten and she practically scrambles out of bed. I watch her with amusement as she pulls me up. She must have been wanting to do this for awhile.

My eyes widen as she strips off her clothes. I turn around to give her privacy, ignoring the heat in my cheeks. I stiffen when she wraps her arms around my waist and presses her lips to my shoulder.

Her breath hits my neck with each breath and I try not to shiver at the feeling. "Get dressed. I won't look, I promise."

I nod mutely as she pulls away and hands me clothes. They look like they are hers, but I do not question her. At least they are not brightly colored.

Clarke turns so her back is to me and I slip off my current clothes and put on the shirt with no problem. It is the pants I have trouble with. They seem to fit, but there is a strange v with metal bits lining it at the top.

"Clarke? What is this?" I frown at it.

I like understanding things. I like knowing what things are and what they do. This contraption is something I have not seen before. Until the Sky People came, I prided myself in knowing what almost every plant or creature or device was called. Now there are new things and I am glad I have Clarke, who is a patient teacher, to tell me what things are and how they work.

She turns and studies me, confused. "What is what?"

I point at the v with metal bits. "This."

Clarke laughs, though quiets herself slightly when she sees that I am, in fact, serious. "It's a zipper. It helps the pants stay around your waist."

At my puzzled look, she reaches down and gently pulls the metal at the bottom of the v up, closing the metal bits together. The pants do seen to fit better.

"You may have to tell some of our seamstresses and engineers about this contraption."

Clarke kisses my cheek and takes my hand. "I'll make sure to do that next time I'm at one of your towns. Now, I'll grab some food and I know you're dying to get your weapons from your Commander's uniform, which will be washed and dried by tomorrow, from Octavia."

"If she's not still in the woods with Lincoln. I think my advice helped, I did not hear their screams last night."

Clarke chuckles and walks to the door, looking back for a moment with adoring eyes and I cannot help returning the look.

"I'll meet you at the gate."


	24. Chapter 24

I breathe a sigh of relief once I slide my sword into its sheath, once again it is on my back. I feel more powerful with it with me, like I can take on the world.

I walk to the gate to see Octavia and Lincoln walking in. Both of them are yawning and look like they have not slept all night. Their clothes are askew and they have leaves and twigs all over them.

"Did you get much rest?" I ask them, smiling, as they stumble past me.

Octavia sticks up her middle fingers and mumbles, "Fuck you."

Clarke joins me a moment later, eyeing where Lincoln and Octavia went. "Do you think they got any sleep?"

"Unless you count sleeping together, no," I reply.

"Dude, nice." Raven lifts her hand , grinning. Oh, the "high five" thing. I hit her hand lightly with mine. "What's got you in such a good mood?" She pauses for a second and before I can answer, her eyes widen. "Did you get laid?" I have been around Octavia too much, I understood what Raven said. Clarke's face is red and Raven looks far too happy at the idea of me 'getting laid'. "You totally did!"

"I did not, not that it is any of your business." I grab Clarke's hand, rubbing it softly with my thumb to calm her. I take the basket from her other hand and we walk toward the gate.

"Where are you two going? Lincoln and Octavia's spot?" Raven yells after us.

I think she just enjoys embarrassing Clarke.

"We're going on a picnic, you creep!" Clarke calls back, gesturing for the guards to open the gate.

It creaks open, almost ominously. I shrug off the dark thought and focus on my girlfriend. My girlfriend. She is mine and I am hers.

I press a kiss to her cheek at that happy thought as she leads us through the forest. We walk for an hour in comfortable silence until she stops. We are in a small clearing I have never been to before. And that is saying something. When I was younger, I spent years finding every nook and cranny in this forest.

There is a log in the center and Clarke takes back the basket, whispering a "thank you for carrying that" in my ear before she sets it down near the fallen tree. She pulls out a blanket and sets it on the ground as close to the log as she can get.

I want to help her out but I know that she wants to take charge of this date. So I stand back and wait while she unloads a truly astounding amount of food from such a tiny basket. She sets it all on the log and sits on the blanket, looking back at me with a smile as she pats the spot next to her.

I sit as near to her as I can, our arms brushing with each movement we make.

I smile at her, "This is beautiful, thank you."

She flushes but holds my gaze, looking back at me with those warm blue eyes. "Thank you for being so amazing. I cannot thank you enough for all you've done for me and my people. You're a great person, Lexa, and I love you."

I lean in and kiss her. I am no good with words but I put every ounce of my love for her into this kiss. When she pulls back for breath, I whisper "I love you too." And she gives me a smile that could light up the darkest abyss.

"I got all of this food myself." Clarke tells me proudly. "I caught the meat and I asked Monty to make sure that none of these berries and stuff are poisonous. So we hopefully won't die from eating this food. Hopefully."

"I have faith in you."

She squeezes my hand gently. While we eat, we talk of light things. Octavia and Lincoln. How Raven seems to be getting better at using her brace. How despite Abby's protests, Monty and Jasper started another brewery. And, my personal favorite, puns.

"I like this, deer."

"I love you berry much."

"Olive you."

And so on. Clarke is much wittier than I expected. Those were her puns. Mine were much less... well, much less good.

"Don't be a grass, Clarke."

"One, two, tree eyes on a deer."

"You're not as punny as you think."

I should know better. That this peacefulness would not last.

When Ice warriors burst into the clearing, I know this will not be good.


	25. Chapter 25

I immediately pull out my sword, glad that I grabbed it before we left. There are roughly ten of them and they look like they are true Ice Warriors, not those weaklings she sent after us before. These warriors are covered in white paint from head to toe. Even their armor is white. Their hair is slicked back and also has their paint in it. I cannot tell with the way the sun is shining on their faces their genders, or who they are. I may have to refer to them in my head with gender neutral terms.

I glance at Clarke and am relieved to see that she has a gun in one hand and a dagger in the other. She has a fierce expression on her face and I know I will not have to worry as much. I recognize that face. It is one that soldiers wear on the battle field after they have seen too many comrades die and they are mentally prepared to fight their enemies.

I shift into a fighting position and they charge, swords glistening in the sunlight. It is an old tactic of the Ice Warriors, to make their enemies temporarily unable to see and attack. I have faced too many of their warriors for it work on me. But it might work on Clarke.

I hear a growl of frustration behind me and turn quickly to see that Clarke is powering through the temporary blindness and fighting them using her hearing.

I feel pride swell in my chest. The air changes behind me and I spin around. I thrust my sword at just the right moment and stop the other blade before it can slice me in half. I hope Clarke does not need me. The Ice Warriors demand a hundred percent of my focus.

I use my strength and push back. The soldier stumbles backwards and another takes their place. Or swords clang together and I give them my you are going to die I am going to kill you look. Their eyes widen and they seem alarmed. Their swing towards me falters slightly and that is all I need.

I hit it away and plunge my sword through a weak spot in their armor they still have not fixed after at least seven years. The sword clatters to the ground as its owner collapses, gasping lightly as their blood slowly drains from the wound I inflicted.

They are on their knees and they give me one last defiant glare before their body slumps and eyes see no more.

One of their comrades roar in anger and I swoop down and pick up their sword before two soldiers attempt to attack me from either side of me.

My body twists and moves automatically, dodging stabbing swords and slashing at the soldiers almost simultaneously.

I vaguely register rather loud gun shots coming from Clarke and her gun. The sounds of breaths getting cut off soon after each shot reassures me that she is handling herself well.

The soldiers attempt to rush me at the same time, their swords up and close to their faces. I stick out my swords and listen to the sound of metal sliding through flesh and the final gurgles of those two soldiers.

My swords are in them so deep, I have to kick them both off. They slump on the ground, blood dribbling slowly from their mouths.

I glance around to see that Clarke has taken care of six soldiers and is fighting the last one using her dagger. She plunges it into their chest. She turns to me, not bothering to retrieve her knife. Her clothes are dirty and she is covered in blood, but she is smirking at me.

"I killed seven and you killed three. I win."

I smile. She is not in a bad mood or retreating into herself after killing seven soldiers. Which is impressive, especially since they were Ice Warriors. They are some of the most fearsome fighters of all the clans.

"You used a long range weapon, not sword or dagger for the first six. So they only count as half." I am well aware I am teasing her, but seeing her so... carefree after something as horrific as a battle is putting me into a good mood as well.

"That's still four, Lexa. Either way, I win!" She sticks out her tongue at me. "Admit it!"

I laugh at the childish gesture and walk through the dead bodies littering the ground. I lean in until we are a breath apart. "You win."

I press my lips to hers and she smiles into the kiss, not doubt at my admission. I pull back before I can lose myself in her. She may not be ready for anything more, and I will always respect her wishes.

I turn when I hear a leaf crackle. I freeze. Why is she here?


	26. Chapter 26

The Ice Queen never leaves her castle unless it is to instill fear in the hearts of her people or for meetings.

So why is she here?

Clarke moves in front of me as if shielding me from her. She raises her gun and points it at the Ice Queen. She calmly looks at Clarke with a slightly bored expression. Clarke pulls the trigger and the guns clicks. No bullet shoots out of it.

Clarke hits it with her hand a few times before aiming again. She pulls the trigger and the gun just clicks. Clarke groans and tucks the gun back into her pants.

As much as I appreciate her attempt to protect me, I would rather stand beside her than behind her. I reach out and take ahold of her hand.

The Ice Queen glares daggers at Clarke before turning to me with a sickeningly sweet smile.

"You could do so much better than her, Lexa darling. You could have me. Why do you settle for that?" She gestures distastefully at my girlfriend.

I frown at her. She is truly insane. I would never leave the one I love for someone I despise.

"I do not want you. And I told you, do not call me Lexa." I say calmly, tracing my thumb along the smooth skin of Clarke's hand.

"You know you don't mean that, dear. Come with me, love, and we can be married tomorrow." She holds out her hand, looking at me expectantly.

She really thinks I am going with her?

Above all else, she thinks I would willingly spend more time in her presence than I absolutely need to?

I squeeze Clarke's hand. "No. I am with Clarke. I am not with you. I was never with you. I never will be with you."

It may be harsh, but hopefully my words will get through to whatever delusional world she is living in.

She thinks she did me a favor by killing, torturing, and maiming Costia.

That might be why she sent so many of her Ice Warriors. To take Clarke to do the same to her.

I will not let that happen.

Not again.

Not while I still have the strength to fight.

"You're not going to come with me?" She tries to give me a sad look to attempt to change my mind.

"Why is she obsessed with you?" Clarke murmurs in my ear.

"I have no idea. She has been obsessed with having me since I became Commander."

"Weren't you ten or something?"

"Yes."

"That's disgusting. How many years older than you is she?"

"I am not sure. In the years I have known her, she does not seem to have aged at all. I do not know her age." I look the Ice Queen in the eyes. She has a sparkle in them that I do not like. "I will not go with you."

"I thought you would say that." She snaps her fingers.

I let go of Clarke's hand and get into a fighting stance as two more Ice Warriors walk into the clearing. I focus on them, ready to fight when they attack. They stand still.

I hear a surprised squeak come from behind me. I spin around. Please, gods, let that not be Clarke.

It was. Clarke.


	27. Chapter 27

Clarke not only has a handgun pressed against her head, but also has a knife against her throat.

If there were only one of the two, I could help her easily. With both, there's an alarming likelihood that she will end up injured or killed if I try anything.

Seeing her scared expression breaks my heart. I would do anything to never see it again.

"Now that your... pet is subdued, how about you and I talk?" The Ice Queen asks.

I turn to face her. She seems calm, but I can see the happiness in her eyes. She finally has me where she wants me. I will do anything, anything to make sure that Clarke lives.

"What do you want?" I growl out. With the current circumstance, I cannot force myself to be pleasant. Especially not to her.

"Now, is that any way to speak to your future wife?"

I remain silent, seething with anger. If I refuse her, she may give the order to kill Clarke.

I will die before any harm will come to her.

"Lexa, whatever she wants, don't do it. I'm not worth it," she croaks.

I meet Clarke's beautiful blue eyes. A small line of blood trickles down her throat. Speaking must have nicked her neck.

"You are worth it to me, Clarke."

She smiles. It is not a happy smile. A tear slips down her face and her lip trembles. "Your freedom is worth dying for."

"My life would not be worth living if you were not in it."

It all seems very cliche, but it is the truth. She is the light of my life, bringing me from the dark. The fiery heat, melting my icy heart. She is more beautiful than a goddess, and I do not know what I have ever done to deserve her.

Now that she is in my life, there is no way I could breathe properly if I did not know she is safe. Her happiness and safety is worth protecting.

"Come with me." The Ice Queen demands. "Back to my castle. I might have to give you to a trainer, but you will love me as much as I love you soon. You'll forget this child. Come."

"Only if you let Clarke go."

I am still staring into her gorgeous eyes as they widen with horror.

"Lexa, no," she breathes.

Her eyes are pleading, but I have made my choice.

"How do I know that the pair of you won't just run off if I release her?"

I drop my weapons on the ground and kick them away from me. I meet her eyes again, silently begging her to understand.

Her tears are flowing freely and my chest tightens at the sight. I am once again causing her pain.

I put my arms behind my back, knowing she probably has handcuffs or something. Instead, she steps behind me. She is close. Too close. I can feel her breath against my ear. She grabs hold of my wrists.

I could get out of this hold, but I could let the woman I love die. And that cannot happen again. I could hardly bear to lose Costia, and I feel more for Clarke than I ever did for her.

The Ice Warrior tosses away the gun and pulls the knife away. Before Clarke can launch herself at me like I can tell she desperately wants to, he kicks the inside of her knee. She cries out, her face twisting in pain.

She falls to her knees, gasping for air.

"Come on, love," the Ice Queen croons. "Let's go."

Clarke looks up at me. I have never seen such determination in her eyes.

The Ice Queen leads me away from her. I keep my head turned toward her until she is blocked by trees.

"I'll find you, Lexa!" Clarke yells. "I swear I'll get you back!"

I try to stop my body from shaking, but it does not listen.

"I know you have one of their communications devices," the Ice Queen says casually. "You can talk one last time to them before you start your new life in my castle."

She lets go of one of my wrists. Her Ice Warrior catches up to us. Even I am no match for one when unarmed. I grab the radio.

"Raven?" I say quietly.

"Yeah, what's up, Commander?"

"You need to get Clarke. She is in a clearing in the woods. And, please..." I pause, looking up at the sky, trying to keep my eyes dry. I cannot cry in front of my enemies. "Tell Clarke I love her."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh this is one of my favorite chapters I've written... And it's only going to get better! Thanks for reading and stay awesome!


	28. Chapter 28

Surprise! It's in Clarke's POV

I watch helplessly as that Ice bitch leads her away.

It's all my fault.

I gather just enough energy to yell, "I'll find you, Lexa! I swear I'll get you back!"

If only I were stronger.

I am on my knees and I fall backwards, my eyes unfocusing on the world around me.

I could have saved her.

I lost her.

I lost Lexa.

The world fades to black.

"Clarke?" I hear a voice call out.

Lexa?

"No, sweetie, it's me, Raven. Are you okay?"

My eyes flutter open. Raven is crouched in front of me with a worried expression on her face as she studies me.

"Can you walk?" She questions.

I couldn't even get up to get her.

"To get who?" Am I thinking out loud? When I don't answer, she turns and shouts, "O! I found her! She doesn't seem hurt, but something's wrong! I need you to carry her!"

Octavia comes running out of the forest, panting. "Alright. But where's Lexa?"

Gone.

"I don't know."

"How do you not know? You're the one who talked to her!"

"She didn't tell me anything! Just gave me a message for Clarke." Raven focuses on me. "Can you hear me? Clarke?"

Octavia walks up to me, frowning. "I've never seen her like this." She crouches down. "What's wrong, Princess?"

She's gone.

"Who's gone?" She looks at Raven and mutters under her breath. "I swear if the Commander hurt her..."

She left. She could have just let me die. Why didn't she let me die?

"Who?" Raven asks.

"Lexa," I murmur.

I let out a shuddering breath and remember. How terrified she looked when she saw the knife and gun. How gently she told me that I am worth dying for. How beautiful she looked when she was laughing at our terrible puns. How great she's been to me, how patient. How adorable she is when she's trying to hide a smile and seem tough. How she's an amazing kisser, she's gentle and compassionate but I can feel the passion behind the kisses. How badass she looks in her armor. How kind she truly is. How happy she was when I asked her to be my girlfriend. How she made sure that our kiss after she saved me wasn't a one time thing.

I sink further into the recesses of my memory.

She gave up everything for me. Her life. Her happiness. Her freedom. Her... Love.

Some sound is trying to make me come back to reality but the real world hurts. My chest is tight and my heart feels like it's broken into tiny jagged pieces.

I'm aching because in the real world, she's not here. She's not next to me, holding me and quietly telling me that it's okay. But it's not. And she's not here.

And it's killing me.

"Clarke? Clarke!" Someone is saying my name over and over.

Octavia and Raven are still in front of me. My ears are clear once again as I try to hear what she's saying.

"Clarke," Raven sighs in relief when she notices that I'm listening. "Lexa radioed me to come and get you as well as give you a message. I tried to radio back, but it's not working. Do you want to hear the message now? Or do you want to wait?"

Now.

"Alright. She told me to tell you that she loves you."

I love you too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh, the last chapter (for now). I try to update every two to three days. Forgot to tell you guys that some chapters are going to be in Clarke's point of view and others will be in Lexa's. Fun chapter, huh? :) Stay awesome!


	29. Chapter 29

Clarke's POV

My vision slowly focuses.

I'm in the medical area where my mother works. How did I get here?

Mom, Octavia and Raven all peer down at me, worry etched into their faces.

Why are they so worried? What happened?

Memories flash in my mind.

Please tell me that was a dream. Please tell me that wasn't real.

"It wasn't, a dream, Clarke." Raven murmurs.

Suddenly I can't breath and I'm gasping for air. There's a weight on my chest that no one can see and it's killing me.

She could be dead.

No. She would never go down that easily.

And she would never let herself be kidnapped because if she doesn't one person would die.

But she did. She did.

She's gone.

"Clarke. Clarke!"

I'm pulled back into reality. I'm hunched over on the hospital bed, clutching my head tightly with both of my hands.

"Clarke. What happened?" Octavia says, gently rubbing circles on my back.

I force myself to let go of my head.

"Lexa's gone," I rasp.

"We gathered that much, sweetheart." Mom says gently. "What happened?"

"We were on a date-" Mom frowns but stays quiet. "And some Ice Warriors showed up. I killed seven of them, by the way." I smile faintly at the memory. "Lexa only killed three."

"Nice." Raven pats my shoulder.

"And then the Ice Queen showed up. And out of nowhere I had a knife to my throat and a gun to my head. When Lexa saw me, she... She couldn't save me. Not with both of the weapons. So she agreed to go with the Ice Queen in order to have her spare my life. I told her not to, that her freedom is worth dying for, but she... She didn't listen. She said that her life wouldn't be worth living if I were not in it. So she went with them."

"At least the Commander did the right thing." Mom sighs and grins at me.

She doesn't seem fazed or care at all that the woman I love just gave up her freedom for me.

Raven and Octavia envelope me in a hug.

"Thanks." I say when they pull back.

"So what's the plan?" Octavia asks.

"Plan?"

"To get her back."

"No." Mom says sternly before the conversation can go any further. "That girl has caused enough trouble, I'm not about to go to war to save her."

I slide off the bed and look my mother in the eyes. "That girl you're referring to is a woman. Not a child. She is the Commander. She is my girlfriend. She helped save our people from the Mountain Men." She opens her mouth but I cut her off. "No. She came back. She didn't have to, but she did. Lexa is the woman I love. And you have been nothing but horrible to her. And you're not making this decision. I am. If I decide to get Lexa back then we will."

Mom's face is red. "I am the Chancellor!"

"So? Hold an election. See which one of us the people want as their leader. Prove me wrong. Then you can make the decisions."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter didn't go the way I thought it would but I love it! Go Clarke! What do you guys think is going to happen? What do you think is happening to Lexa? Almost to chapter 30... Whoa. Thanks for reading and stay awesome!


	30. Chapter 30

Lexa's POV

The Ice Queen parades me through the streets. Her people are used to having to come out of their homes and workplaces to wave pleasantly. It is one of her odd laws.

Now, however, they stand and stare at me in disbelief. I can see sadness and horror in some eyes. Some cry silently as I am marched past them. I know they expected me to free them from the clutches of their leader's madness.

I have failed them.

I can only hope that if necessary, I can gain the Queen's trust and eventually kill her when I have the chance.

We walk for days with no rest, no stopping. The others eat as we walk. I am given little water and no food.

I wonder if it is because they have none to spare.

I have heard that she has been locking more and more people up for small things such as complaining about taxes and disagreeing with her. There are less farmers in the fields than in any place I have ever been.

My throat feels as though sand is coating it and my stomach is nothing more than a hollow pit. My limbs protest with every movement with shakiness and pain. Every breath takes so much more effort than it should and I wish I could just stop. Each time I try to, my body automatically takes a breath. It is a painful cycle.

The Ice Queen constantly looks over at me, takes in my body and the state that I am in and smirks. She seems pleased that she had reduced the great commander to a shaking weakling.

I may be Commander, but I have been hungry like this before. Famine has struck in my leadership and I refuse to take more than my share just because I can. I gave my extra rations to the orphans.

Though this walk is far from pleasant, the worst thing by far is the time that I have to just think. Memories float through my mind of Clarke and if my body had enough water, I would be crying.

I miss her.

I will most likely never see her again.

That thought makes my breathing hitch and I hope more than anything that she is safe, that she is okay.

Whenever my mind focuses on her, it hurts too much so I focus on the physical pain. It works temporarily, but Clarke is always there, in the background before her smile pushes until it is the only thing I can think about.

A few times my thoughts about her nearly cause me to walk into a tree or a low hanging sign.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, guys! Not a long chapter... In case any of you are concerned, this isn't going to end anytime soon, I promise! I will try to update every two or three days. Though school is starting for me on Tuesday (nooooo) so hopefully I'll have a better writing schedule. The next chapter will be longer. Also, this series was on Wattpad before I put it on here, which is why I posted so many chapters at once. :) Thanks for reading and stay awesome!


	31. Chapter 31

Clarke's POV

Mom takes my suggestion to hold an election seriously, to my despair. Every man and woman and other old enough to work all have to vote on having her as their Chancellor or me as their leader.

It takes days. Agonizing days because I am unable to reach out to the Grounders and call for a meeting because Mom refuses to allow me to until the voting is done. And by refuses, I mean that I'm dragged away from the gate by some very large strong guards who are very apologetic for their actions.

"How long is this going to take?" Octavia groans, sitting down on a chair in the mechanic's area.

Raven, Octavia and I have kept each other sane these past few days. We're all itching to do something, anything to get Lexa back.

A radio crackles and a voice comes through, telling us to go to the gathering place in front of the Ark.

I groan quietly, knowing it's probably another speech from my mother about some political thing that literally no one but her and Kane care about.

"... The results are in!" Mom says, smiling widely at the crowd. "Clarke, come on up here and I'll read the results!" I climb up onto the makeshift platform and stand beside my mother, watching the assembled crowd as they anxiously shift. It's either from anticipation or they want it get back to work. It seems like everyone is here. "The winner is..." She frowns as she reads the small piece of paper in her hands. "Clarke. Congratulations, it seems as though you are the true leader."

The crowd cheers and mom gives me a grin so bright, it has to be fake. I know she really didn't think that our people like me more than her.

I give a little bow that makes some chuckle and head back to the mechanic's area to plan.

Raven and Octavia stayed back, but no doubt heard my mother and what she said. Though when I walk in, their faces are pale and grave.

"Clarke." Raven gives me a look that tells me this is not going to be good. "We just got word from our source inside the Mountain that they've teamed up with the Ice Nation."


	32. Chapter 32

Clarke's POV

 

"They're working together?" I ask.

Shouldn't they hate each other?

"Yes." Raven nods and Octavia puts a hand on her shoulder, probably to comfort her.

I have noticed that they're really good friends now and are pretty touchy with each other. But that might just be Octavia being Octavia and Raven going along with it. Though I've never heard her complain. But she doesn't complain about anything ever.

I think back, sifting through my last couple months of memory. Something clicks and I curse. "No wonder that Ice Warrior had a gun."

"Yeah. I didn't think much about that when you told us what happened." Octavia looks thoughtful for a moment before she says, "You know you need to do something to get her back. Her people won't be happy about her being kidnapped and I know I'm not."

My blood feels like it's freezing in my veins. "Are you suggesting we go to war with them? O, that's the thing we were trying to avoid! That's what Lexa tried to avoid!"

"Yes. And now she's in the hands of some insane girl with delusions of them getting married. You know Lexa won't allow that to happen. That Ice Queen could do something horrible to her to convince her to."

"I hate it when you make sense. Okay, okay. I'll talk to our people today and the Grounders tomorrow."

"If we're going to war, who's going to lead? The Commander isn't here." Raven questions.

"Clarke." Octavia says.

"Yes?" Why did she say my name?

She sighs dramatically. "No, Clarke as in you're going to lead us."

"Wait. What?"

Maybe my brain isn't connected right. I can't have heard what I just did. Me? Lead an army? Into battle?

"Do I really need to repeat myself, Princess?"

Raven smirks at Octavia at the nickname. I fight the urge to groan and instead focus on what they're saying.

"I can't lead an army! I was the reason she was kidnapped!" I protest.

Raven gives me her famous are-you-kidding-me look. "I'm guessing that you're blaming yourself and you think that it's your fault."

"It is! If I heard him coming, or had the fighting skills to-"

Raven cuts me off. "Did you take her away? Did you force her away from the girl she's in love with?"

"No..." In love with? I blush at the thought. We've said we love each other, but not that...

"Then it's not your fault. Got it? I know you're still going to feel guilty, but it's not you're fault, Princess, that she's gone."


	33. Chapter 33

Lexa's POV

I pry my eyes open, blinking exhaustedly as the colors swim. It takes awhile for them to focus and when they do I almost with they did not.

I am in a horribly lit room. It is huge, and my eyesight is still slightly blurry so I cannot make out much. But the walls and floor do seem to be some type of gray stone.

I attempt to move and it does work. I hear the clank of metal. I am chained to this wall. I try moving my feet and get the same result.

Where am I? Why am I here?

A figure stands in front of me.

"Hello, Commander." His voice is nasal and more annoying than an removing an exploding toad from your pelts.

"What is going on? Where am I?" My voice is raspy as though I have not spoken in weeks.

I cough and my eyes water. Speaking hurts and so does breathing. My throat is extremely dry. In all my years, I do not think I have ever been this thirsty.

He cackles, "Good questions. You won't like the answers. This, my dear, is a dungeon. Underneath her Majesty the Ice Queen's palace. She instructed me to break you. It seems you have been refusing milady's advances. She wants me to make sure that does not happen again." His disturbingly bony fingers caress my cheek and I flinch, moving my head away from the touch.

"Idle threats will not work against me. Nor will torture." I know his hand is further away from me so I move to face him and spit.

"I look forward to proving you wrong."

I listen to his footsteps slowly fade away. A heavy sounding door slams shut.

My eyes finally focus and I look around more. I certainly am in a dungeon. Torture devices are all over, even some that have been banned for years by the clans. Blood stains the cold ground.

There seem to be two people in here with me. I squint and then shuffle backwards, my eyes wide. My armor has been taken from me and stiff, scratchy shirt and pants have been put on me. I press my back against the freezing wall behind me, not believing my eyes.

Certainly I am delusional. It cannot be them.

But those faces... And those eyes...

One of them, the male, is looking at me.

He cocks his head. "Lexa?"

My muscles go limp and I hang from where my wrist shackles are holding me up.

That voice. There is no mistaking that voice. It is them. But how?

I was told that they are dead. They died when I was nine. How are they alive? How are they here?

"Lexa?" The female looks up from where her head was drooping. Her piercing green eyes immediately go to me. "How...?"

It is them. These people, locked in this torture dungeon are... How long have they been here?

How long has the Ice Queen held my parents captive?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh, plot twist. Can you guys tell how much I love them? Lexa's in a dungeon and the Ice Nation is working with the Mountain Men... What do you think is going to happen? Will Clarke be able to save Lexa? Thanks for reading and stay awesome!!!


	34. Chapter 34

Clarke's POV

I call for a gathering and shift nervously as my people gaze up at me from where I stand on the make shift stage thing. Raven and Octavia are off to the side on the ground. They insist on being near me for moral support.

I look out at the assembled crowd and take a deep breath. And I tell them what happened to Lexa and me. How we were on a date when Ice Warriors showed up. How we fought them together. How I teased her afterwards. How the Ice Queen showed up. And then about how I was taken hostage. And then I get to what Lexa did for me. And how Octavia found me.

Octavia jumps in after that, letting everyone know that I was when she found me.

At the end, many have steely determined expressions and some even have tears in their eyes.

Now I have to do this again in a Grounder city.

Octavia walks me there, constantly checking on me and making sure I'm not having a mental breakdown.

She knows, somehow, that reliving all of that was hell.

We go to Indra's village, where Lexa was staying. Indra is less than happy to see me, but once I tell her it's about Lexa, she immediately relents and gathers her people.

They aren't excited about what happened. They start chanting jus drein jus daun as soon as I'm finished.

"What are we going to do about the Commander, Sky Princess?" Indra lets nothing show in her voice or expression.

"We're going to declare war and get Commander Lexa back." I say.

Indra actually smiles. Almost. It's a half smile. "We will fight alongside you. Who will lead us into battle, if not the Commander?"

"Clarke will," Octavia butts into the conversation. Indra gives her a look. "You can't say that she doesn't want the Commander back as much as of not more than your people. She's not stupid and has become a pretty good fighter. She was trained by Lexa herself."

Indra grumbles under her breath in Trigedasleng before switching back to the language we understand. "Very well. I will keep an eye on you, Princess."

I nod. I expected as much. "I know you will. And I know you really care about Lexa. That's why I want you to be an adviser."

"Adviser? You cannot take me from battling for the Commander's freedom!" Indra growls.

"I won't. You'll just advise me on our next moves and tactics. It's a great excuse to call me stupid, if you'd like to. I won't take you away from the battle. I'm going to fight as well."

Indra nods to me, pleased and seems almost impressed.

I hope I an not leading thousands to their deaths.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Sorry, wasn't a great chapter... It'll pick up from here maybe! I write this chapter by chapter so what'll happen next? I don't even know. (It's a very fun way to write) I can promise that this story will get more action and more gory fight scenes (I know you lovely people love those). Thanks for reading and stay awesome!


	35. Chapter 35

Lexa's POV

I do not get the chance to speak to my parents because the Ice Queen struts in before we can get the chance.

"Hello, darling." She purrs, gently cupping my face. "Are you ready to come out of here? I'd prefer not to have to tell my little helpers to harm you."

I spit. It hits her face and her calm facade breaks as she scowls at me. A man scurries up, murmuring apologies as he wipes her clean.

"Never."

The Ice Queen shrugs nonchalantly. "Very well. Just know, my Lexa, that I never wanted this to happen." She snaps her fingers and steps back from me.

She turns on her heel and walks right back out.

"I AM NOT YOURS!" I roar just before the door slams.

"You will be. No one can stand my... Convincing technique for long."

"Do your worst." I croak.

He hums gleefully as he walks over to his tools and devices. His fingers wiggle as he thinks about how he what he is going to use to torture me. I can already tell he is going to enjoy this.

He picks up something that definitely isn't something the Ice People could create. Only the Sky People and the Mountain Men have that advanced of technology.

He stalks toward me. I glance over at my parents. They both have pained expressions on their faces. They are silent. Perhaps speaking would make this worse for us all.

"Who created that?"

He looks down at the device, lovingly stroking it. "The Mountain Men have us many gifts in return for our loyalty."

Every muscle in my body tenses. The Ice Nation and the Mountain Men forming an alliance could mean only one thing. This was planned. Gods, no wonder that warrior had a gun.

Clarke is in danger.

Especially if she declares war. The Ice Warriors by themselves are tough to defeat, but with the Mountain Men and technology on their side... They could destroy everyone. My people, her people. No one is safe. If she declares war.

But she would not. She knows that it would be a death wish.

I go limp. I know she would because that is exactly what I would do if she were kidnapped. I would declare war.

Her people would follow her to the end of the earth and back, and my people do not like the Ice Nation anyways, let alone if their Commander is taken.

She is going to declare war, if she has not already.

Gods, I hope she does not die. I just want to hold her in my arms again.

The man places two circles connected by wires on my chest. He grins evilly at me before turning his attention to the device. He turns a dial and I can hear a faint buzzing.

Heat rips through my body and I let out a breathy whimper. My body tenses. My vision has gone white and I can see nothing and feel nothing but the pain.

Something clicks and the pain lessens slightly.

"What are you doing to her?" I hear my mother cry.

"It's just electricity."


	36. Chapter 36

Clarke's POV

"I think we should have our headquarters in the Ark." Octavia says. Indra frowns at her. "Not because I'm from there. The fence is electrified and will do well keeping our enemies out."

Indra grumbles under her breath. "Very well. Do not think that the fence will save you from arrows or bullets."

"Instead of exhausting our people we should send out a Grounder with each patrol. You're better at seeing hidden snipers."

They both nod. Indra glances around us in the trees. "Let us go. We should start planning right away."

We exchange no more words and head out with a few Grounders Indra selects. She may not particularly like me, but I trust her judgement.

We arrive at the Ark quickly, only stopping for Indra to smear whatever it is they use on my face. I look like a Grounder and a Sky Person had a weird kid. But I get why Lexa likes it so much, it makes me feel like I could take on the world.

The gate groans as it opens, we really need to fix that sometime, and we walk in to see my angry mother.

"What is this, Clarke?"

I do not want to deal with this right now.

"We're going to get Lexa back."

"The hell you are!" Mom exclaims. She studies my face and blanches. "Clarke, honey, what is on your face?"

"I honestly don't know. But that doesn't matter. We're going to get her back whether you like it or not! They have tried to kill Lexa and I on more than three occasions! Did you know that? If you did, you would not hesitate to declare war! But because it's Lexa, and I still don't know why the fuck you don't like her, you don't care! And I'm sick of it! We're going to war. We are going to fight. We are going to get her back."

I walk past my open-mouthed mom. But really, why is she even surprised when I call her out on her bullshit anymore? Because I have done it so often and Lexa has called her out, too. I have no idea why she still can't understand.

And my chest is aching at the thought of Lexa. I can only hope that she's safe, that she's okay. I have only known the Ice Queen for a short time but I know already that she is insane. I just wish I could know if she's crazy enough to harm Lexa, the woman she claims she loves.

"You did well, Clarke of the Sky People." Indra pats me awkwardly on the back as she walks past me into the Mechanics' room.

Raven clears her throat, blushing and adjusts her shirt. Kyle shifts slightly, looking just as uncomfortable. We obviously interrupted them.

Indra raises an eyebrow at them, but says nothing.

"Alright. What's up?" Raven's voice is a bit raspy and I really don't want to think about why.

I take a deep breath. This is happening. "We're going to war."


	37. Chapter 37

Lexa's POV (WARNING!!!! TORTURE)

My body is shaking and I breathe in quiet pants.

Electricity is what Clarke says powers the Ark's lights. How can something so useful be so incredibly agonizing?

"Do you love the Ice Queen?" My torturer asks.

He sounds almost gleeful and my eyes were not shut tightly with the pain I am sure I would see that twisted man smiling.

"No."

I hear a few clicks and my back arches and I gasp for breath, dry air stinging my dry throat. It stops after a moment, but I keep twitching.

"You know," he says casually as though this could be a normal conversation. "I could do this all day. All night. Everyday. So you should just give up and marry Her Highness."

"Never," I growl. The rumbling of the sound makes me since.

I have not had water or food yet. Though I doubt the Ice Queen would allow me to die of starvation or dehydration, I know the torturer would be happy to kill me.

The circles attaching me to the electric device are removed.

I force my eyes open and watch as he makes his way back to his table covered in an array of tools. He picks up an ordinary knife.

I smile weakly. I may not like torture, giving or receiving, but I am the Commander. I know how to break people.

Knives are useful because shallow cuts hurt a lot and do not bleed much, so you do not have to worry about your victim dying of blood loss.

He slides at on my bicep, creating an angry red line slowly oozing blood. I lean my head against the hard rock behind me.

I wonder how long it will take him to realize that I will not be broken. In my years I have learned that emotional torture is so much more effective. I have become numb to physical pain.

Of course, I still feel it, but I know what it is like to feel the pain of the death of a loved one. And that is thousands of times worse than any physical wound.

The new wound stings and the torturer is smirking at me. I glance over at my parents. They have not turned away, to my surprise, and are watching with defeated, sad expressions.

I hiss as the knife slides shallowly into my shoulder. Torturer must have studied the human body extensively to miss major blood vessels like that.

"Ah. Resilient to physical pain, huh?" He studies me. "You know, your Clarke is going to declare war. She's going to lead her people and yours to their deaths. And I'm going to enjoy slowly killing her in front of you."

There's an invisible fist around my heart, clenching hard and I am left hurting.

That does sound like something Clarke would do. My people had better respect her or I will strike them down myself when I get out of here. If I get out of here.

Stay alive, Clarke. Just stay alive, my love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you guys think? Because I'm totally hating Torturer and the Ice Queen right now. I kind of want to punch them both in the face for hurting Lexa. Oh, well. Thanks for reading and stay awesome!!


	38. Chapter 38

Clarke's POV

"We're going to war."

At my words, Raven gets serious and nods. At first, I think she's going to ask if I'm kidding and basically react like my mother, but as usual, I'm wrong.

"Just don't do anything too stupid and die." Her voice cracks but she ignores the fact.

The pain in her words break my heart and I'm so glad that Kyle hears it too. He wraps an arm around her shoulders and she snuggles into him, though she still tries to seem tough.

"No promises on the not doing stupid things." I smile as I speak and hear Octavia snicker quietly beside me. "But I can promise to try not to die."

Raven is one of the strongest people I know. If I'm remembering correctly, her family's dead and after that her ply family was Finn. Who I killed after I stole him from her. Let me say that I had no idea he had a girlfriend. And then she was injured and couldn't move properly. And then she was locked up in a crate for a week or so by psycho scientists. And those are just a few of the things she's had to go through. Yet she still carries on with her hilarious attitude and her brilliance in the field of mechanics. To be honest, I don't know how she does it.

The radio that connects us to Mount Weather crackles, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Hello?" Maya sounds panicked. "Um, sorry to bother you but I saw something and I, uh, I just really need to speak to the Commander. Can you put her on if she's there?"

"Lexa was taken by the Ice Queen. Why?" I frown.

Maya curses and now I'm alarmed. She's a sweet, kind girl with the mouth of a young kid that refuses to even say the word "stupid". For her to be swearing, it must be really bad.

"Maya?" I ask worriedly.

"It could be faked. They-they could have found a look alike. It-it might not be her." Maya stutters, muttering.

"Maya!" Indra snaps behind me, making me jump slightly.

"Sorry. I saw a video of the dungeon in the Ice Queen's palace. I don't know if it's fake or not. I hope it's fake... Sorry about freaking out. Um, in the video, the Commander's being tortured."

The room spins and I lean against the table, breathing hard. No no no no no.

"Are you sure it was her?" Octavia asks, placing a hand on the small of my back to comfort me.

"I wasn't before, I was hoping she was with you, but now... Yeah I think it's her."

"Thank you, Maya, for letting us know." Octavia says. She reaches out, turning the radio off before focusing on me. "Clarke? Are you alright?"

It's my fault she's there. Nausea rolls in my stomach. She's getting hurt, tortured, because of me.

Shit. We'll just have to save her as soon as we can.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh, Clarke knows about the torture. Will it motivate or distract her? Thank you so much for reading and stay awesome!!


	39. Chapter 39

Clarke's POV

"Clarke?" Octavia reaches out and gently touches my arm. Her moves are hesitant.

I take a deep breath to attempt to calm myself and notice that I'm clutching the table so hard my hands are white. I let go and give my friends what I hope is a reassuring smile. They all look so concerned, even Indra seems to be slightly worried.

"I'm okay. That just means we'll have to get Lexa as soon as we possibly can."

Indra nods. "This will not be easy, especially since the Ice Nation has mad an alliance with the Mountain Men. The first thing we must go is order another meeting so we can declare war."

I frown. "How will we order a meeting?"

"Curriers."

I guess one word explanations are a Grounder thing. Lexa does that as well.

"I'll go and get some curriers. I'll get them to come here. You explain." With those words, Octavia walks out.

"While she's doing that, we should plan," Raven says. "I don't want you to go meet with what I have heard are power hungry asshats without a plan of attack after we declare war."

"Your engineer is smart," Indra remarks, smirking at a fuming Raven.

"I'm a mechanic."

"They are the same in my eyes."

Raven opens her mouth and I know this won't stop anytime soon. "All right, all right. No fighting until we're at war. Or attacked. Got it?"

Indra still looks smug as Raven mumbles out a "sorry". 

This is going to be fun.

"What do we have to do to get Lexa back?" I question, trying to distract them.

"Her castle is nearly impossible to get into. There are hundreds of guards." I groan and Indra ignores me and continues. "However, the Ice Queen, as I am certain you know, is not sane. Her people follow her because of her status and power. Their loyalty is mainly from fear. Most can easily be persuaded to join the fight."

"How? We're fighting their family, their people. They wouldn't turn against that!" I know I wouldn't.

"You underestimate the extent of the Queen's cruelty. She will publicly execute people for nothing and claim they were considering joining a resistance. She is hated by her people, including many of her guards. We are not trying to destroy the Ice Nation. We are trying to kill the Queen."

"And that'll convince them to join?" Kyle wraps his arms around Raven, who smiles but tries to act annoyed.

"It should. We will have to provide extra armor, weapons, and especially rations. Most of the people in the Ice Nation do not get enough to eat."

Octavia walks back in, breathing hard and followed by twelve curriers.

"I got them. You explain."


	40. Chapter 40

Lexa's POV 

By the time Torturer finally leaves, the edges of my vision is hazy.

"Lexa." My mother says. "I know everything's a bit overwhelming with the pain and us being alive and here but please trust me. We don't know how badly you are hurt so were going to need you to stay conscious for as long as you can, okay?"

I nod mutely.

"Good." She sighs, relieved. "We're going to talk to you. Nothing too deep and you do not have to answer anything you don't want to. Hopefully it'll help ease the pain."

My toes flex as I fight the darkness threatening to overtake me. If I die I will never see Clarke again. Just the thought of that is like a shot of energy into my system and the room seems to brighten slightly.

If nothing else, I will survive for her. Because I know the pain of losing the woman you love and I would not wish that on anyone, especially her.

"So what's going on outside? We haven't heard much about anything but gossip about the Ice Nation. How are our people? How is the Commander?"

I pull against the metal chaining me to this wall. "I am the Commander."

I glance at them to gauge their reactions. They both seem surprised, but not shocked.

Father nods, pride on his face. "I knew you were destined for greatness. I'm proud of you."

I blink against the tears blurring my sight. "Thank you." I clear my throat. "In your absence, people have fallen from the sky in a giant metal contraption. They have technology like the Mountain Men, but live among us. They are lead by Clarke and we call them the Sky People. Our people teamed up with them to rescue our people from the Mountain Men. I was offered a deal by the Mountain Men and took it, betraying Clarke. I went back and helped her rescue her people."

"Why did you go back and help her?" Mother questions.

"I promised her I would help get her people back. I keep my promises." And I am in love with her.

"Are you seeing anyone?" Father waggles his eyebrows dramatically.

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. "Yes I am."

Mother perks up and it almost feels like we are in our hut, talking like a normal family instead of chained in a dungeon.

"Who? Do I know them?"

"No. It is Clarke."

They are both silent for a moment. "The leader of the Sky People? They aren't a bit old for you?"

"No. She is roughly the same age as me."

Father smirks, resting his head against the stone tiles behind him. "No wonder you went back and helped her."

"I did not know if she would ever forgive me, let alone like me enough to be friends, let alone dating. But she was kidnapped by the Mountain Men and I got her out. And she kissed me. We have been together for a few months now and the thing I want most right now is to get out of here so I can hold her in my arms once more."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for 3 thousand reads and holy crap it's already chapter 40... Still not ending soon so no worries! Thank you for all of your kudos and comments and stay awesome!


	41. Chapter 41

Lexa's POV

A new man walks in and I eye him warily. He grabs a chair and drags it noisily towards me. He sits, not breaking eye contact with me.

"So this is Commander Lexa? You don't look so tough."

"Unchain me and you can find out how strong I am."

He laughs cruelly. "I doubt you can stand up." He drags his eyes slowly up my barely covered body and I wish I could gouge them out. He licks his lips. "You're prettier than I expected. You have no idea how lucky you are that the Queen likes you."

"My idea of lucky does not include being kidnapped, bound, and tortured." I pull at my chains, the clink of the metal emphasizing my point.

"Feisty. I like it. But that's not the point, sadly. Her Highness demands your presence."

"Her Highness can go fuck herself." My mother growls.

"Please do not worry," I turn my head and look into her eyes. They shine with concern and I give my mother a small smile.

The man gets up and walks closer to me. I glare at him defiantly. He grins and pulls out a key. He undoes my chains and I fall to the ground.

I rub my wrists, grimacing at the bruises.

"As much as I like seeing a pretty young thing like you on your knees, you need to put on clothes before you go before the Queen."

Dirty unripped clothes drop in front of me. I hear the door clang shut and know that rat of a man is gone.

I quickly change, shivering in the cold, damp air.

I am free. I get up, reveling in the thought. I have no chains binding me to this place.

I glance over at my parents and make my way to them.

I pick up two small pieces of metal from the ground. I begin working on the locks when I hear footsteps behind the door. I try to move faster, but my father's voice stops me.

"Lexa. We will be okay. We have been here for years. We can wait however long we have to. Do what they say."

"Yes, sir." I murmur and press a kiss to both their cheeks.

I walk slowly toward the door, making sure to show how much pain I am in. Though I do not particularly like showing emotion, in this case, it might be useful.

A guard marches in, grabbing my arm and guiding me out.

The light may not be very bright, but after who knows how long in a dungeon, it pierces my brain.

I groan at the sudden headache but the guard neither slows not stops. I am blinded by the intensity of the light.

I am confused when the guard forcefully shoves me down onto my knees.

My eyes adjust and I tense at the sight of the Ice Queen looking down at me from her thrown with a smirk on her face.


	42. Chapter 42

Lexa's POV

The Ice Queen's critical eyes sweep over my kneeling body. She does not even blink, even though I am certain I am covered in various cuts and bruises and torture marks.

"Your friend, Clarke of the Sky People, has called yet another meeting. Most likely to declare war on me. I realize you were... Close to her, so you will predict what she will do. Where she will attack. What her strategy is."

My heart is threatening to beat out of my chest. I will never betray Clarke, yet if I do not tell her anything, I will most likely be killed.

"Speak," the guard growls.

"I understand." I murmur, my voice rough. I have not had food or water in some time and have been tortured, so a raspy voice is to be expected at the very least.

I understand but I will surely not comply. I betrayed Clarke once, and that was one time too many. I will never do that again.

"Very good. She managed to convince your people to join her in her war. Though I can't imagine why. You are here of your own free will."

I tense and brace myself because this is incredibly foolish. "I only came here of my own free will because you had a gun to my girlfriend's head and a knife to her throat. It was her or me. And with Clarke, I will always choose her over me."

"Ex-girlfriend," the Ice Queen says casually, crossing her legs.

"Pardon?" After all I have been through because of this insane woman and I still am polite to her. Maybe I am loosing my mind as well. Perhaps her craziness is infectious.

"Ex-girlfriend. You are no longer dating. You are mine now."

"Our relationship right now is long distance due to unforeseen circumstances," I say, the sarcasm so obvious maybe even she will notice. "And while I may be held here in your castle, you can treat me like I am nothing and torture me. You can kill me for all I care, or make me a servant. But I will never be yours. I am Clarke's, and she is mine. No amount of torture will make that any less than a fact."

The Ice Queen gets up, her feet seeming to glide over the floor until she stops right in front of me. The guard flinches and looks almost sympathetic.

She raises a hand and slaps me hard enough that I can taste blood. I spit it out of my mouth directly onto her dress.

Her face twists into a scowl and she barks orders at her guards, who look terrified. They scurry away and servants rush up to her. My guard stays next to me and drags me up.

"Let's go." He snarls, clearly pissed. Is he angry that I stood up to her like he is to afraid to do?

I am pulled back down to the dungeon and welcome the now familiar damp and cold air.


	43. Chapter 43

Lexa's POV

I hear the clank of metal as am shoved into the dungeon. My parents are pulling at their restraints.

"Lexa? Are you okay? What happened?" My mother sounds so worried she almost seems frantic.

"I am fine. The Ice Queen wants me to betray her. I refused." They know by now who in am talking about.

"When is the last time you ate? You look ill." My father notes.

My limbs are shaking with fatigue by that is nothing new. I have been trembling like a weakling for days. At first I thought it was the electricity but now I am thinking it is the lack of food and water.

"Guard!" My mother shouts and if I were not on the verge of fainting I would be impressed at the authority in her voice. "Get Heda something to eat and drink." I see him hesitate, but he quickly complies when she yells again. "Now!"

"Stay awake, Lexa. Do not close your eyes. Think of Clarke. Stay awake." My father pleads.

Clarke is the only thing that keeps me stubborn enough to take each breath. If nothing else, I will see her again before I die. She is more than worth living for.

The guard rushes back, pale faced and terrified. He makes sure to keep a good distance between him and my mother.

He sets down a jug of water and a loaf of stale looking bread in front of me. "I did nothing and knew nothing of this." He scurries away and shuts the door with a bang behind him.

I eat the bread, ignoring the burning pain that comes when I swallow a bite of food. The bread is stale, but it quickly fills my stomach. I feel sick, eating so much after starving for so long.

I grip the jug with quaking hands, careful to pour every last drop down my dry throat. The sensation of the cool water sliding down my throat is almost enough to make me moan. I finish it off quickly and know that if the empty jug is discovered, the kind guard could be killed.

I look around for a hard surface not too close to me or my parents.

With what little strength I have, I throw the jug hard against a wall. I make sure that it is broken beyond recognition before crawling back to my chains. I know they will restrain again and being dragged across the floor does not sound appealing.

I collapse against the wall, breathing heavily.

My eyelids flutter and I give in, letting the darkness consume me.


	44. Chapter 44

Lexa's POV

I wake up, too tired to even open my eyes. The obnoxious feminine voice echoing in this hellhole must have brought me out of unconsciousness. Not even I can sleep through that, and I have lived through wars.

"I wanted information from her, I didn't want her dead."

"We've only just arrived, Your Majesty. We haven't checked to see-"

"Then check!" She roars. Of course the Ice Queen is here.

She must be almost ready to leave. Now all she needs is information that I will never give her.

I hear feet scurrying over to me and fingers press lightly to my neck. My head lolls to the side. I am to weak to make myself comfortable.

"She isn't dead, Your Highness. I do believe she is rather unwell. She looks frighteningly thin and dehydrated."

I can practically hear the scowl on the Ice Queen's face.

"I told those moronic guards to give them little food and water, not no food and water. Stupid brutes. Fetch them at once and tell them that."

"Yes ma'am." He moves quickly away from me, taking time to shut the door without slamming it. I listen to steady footsteps toward me.

"Open your eyes, don't be lazy. I know you're alive." The Ice Queen growls. Was she in a bad mood before or did thinking I am dead really anger her do much?

From what I have seen of her she is eternally in a bad mood. Except when she is attempting to court me.

The man comes back in alone. "The guards are fetching food and water right now." His steps falter, "Your Excellency? May I ask what it is that you are doing?"

"I am trying to get her to open her eyes, the stubborn girl."

"The starvation and dehydration has taken it's toll, madam. She needs to be nursed back to help before she can do anything."

"I need the information NOW!"

"I realize that, but at this point it is impossible."

"You're new around here, aren't you. In my castle, there is no such thing as impossible. Get her to talk!"

"Unless you can delay the meeting several days there is no chance of that."

Even in my haze, I am still coherent enough to applaud this man in my head. She definitely needs to be taken off of her "high horse". Another term Clarke and Octavia have taught me.

I hope I will see them again.

"And be perceived as weakening? No. Very well. You are in charge of taking care of her."

A swish of fabric and a slamming door tells me she is gone.

"Commander?" That voice is familiar. How can it be familiar? "Please, open your eyes. She's gone. The guards are off to get food and water."

My vision is blurry but I can make out the vague shape of a man crouching in front of me. When it clears, I cannot believe my eyes.

"Kane?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh yet another plot twist. I promise Clarke's POV is coming up! Thank you guys for reading! Your comments and kudos make my day! Stay awesome!


	45. Chapter 45

Clarke's POV

The days leading up to the meeting aren't very eventful. We aren't attacked, the other nations agree to assemble in TonDC again, and we plan for war.

Indra has been extremely helpful with providing insights about the Ice Nation. After hearing what it's like there, I am determined not only to save Lexa, but to free the people from an oppressive dictator. Heading to the meeting is just as uneventful. I go with Indra and Octavia.

Since this meeting will be fast, we head out before sunrise and will return before tomorrow. It's only a formality to officially declare war.

Indra and Octavia are in full intimidation mode. They're both serious all the time and both are wearing their war paint.

The guards at the entrance block is from entering.

"Sorry ma'am. You are only allowed one guard inside."

"That would be Octavia. Indra is here as a temporary replacement for the Commander."

The guards exchange a look and nod. "Very well."

We walk inside and are immediately directed to the meeting room.

"Sky Princess. Nice to see you again." The Ice Queen grins, no doubt thinking of the last time we met.

"I can't say the same." I say and breeze past her, our shoulders colliding and making her take a step back.

She tsks and follows us.

I sit at my spot immediately and Indra sits on Lexa's. The others in the room immediately stop talking and stare at her, confused.

"May I ask why you are here, Indra?" One of the other leaders asks.

"You may. You will all know after the meeting starts."

The Ice Queen sits down, her entire demeanor screaming confidence. But I can see the way she eyes me and I know she's concerned.

"This meeting has started, what is the meaning of this?" A leader questions with an annoyed look on their face.

I take point, knowing Octavia and Indra will come in and talk when necessary.

"You all may have noticed that Indra is here instead of Lexa. That is because the Commander was taken by the Ice Queen."

"That is a serious accusation, young lady. Do you have proof?" An old man scolds me. I glare at him and he shifts uneasily.

"If my word alone is not good enough, then let me tell you this. I was there when Lexa was taken. We were in the woods when ten Ice Warriors came with the intent to kill. We killed them instead, and the Ice Queen herself walked into the clearing. Then another one of her warriors had me hostage."

"I doubt she would do something like that." Another leader scoffs.

"I had a gun to my head and a knife to my throat." I crane my neck to show them the scar from where the knife nicked me. The others gasp and now I know I have their attention. "The Ice Queen offered the Commander a deal. She'd let me go if Lexa went with her. And she agreed."


	46. Chapter 46

Clarke's POV

There is a silence where I let the other leaders process what I've just told them.

"So what?" The Ice Queen leans back in her chair. "I have Lexa. You can't do anything about it; she's in my castle."

"That's where you're wrong. I can do something about it and I will."

Octavia moves forward and silently hands me some papers. They watch me with thinly veiled excitement. I bet they know what I'm going to do next.

"I'm officially declaring war on the Ice Queen with the Grounders as my allies."

"Just me? I'm honored."

"You and the Mountain Men that might stand in our way. I have no intention of harming your people if they do not harm us. My intention is to get Lexa back and to remove you from your throne." I stare into her eyes and I can see respect, to my surprise. But it's out shined by the hatred and concern.

Indra speak up. "We had no reason to declare war until you kidnapped our Commander and threatened our allies. It's your fault that this war is happening. And I can't wait to see the look on your face once you've realized we've won."

Indra delivers it with such a serious tone and expression, I know it's intimidated the Ice Queen. I can see her bristling.

"The arrogance..." She mutters, snatching the papers and signing them before shoving them back to us.

I sign it as well and give it to Indra. A second later and it's official. We're at war.

"Is that all?" A leader says. She looks bored, but I can see the interest and feel uneasy as she looks me up and down. Maybe Lexa and I should have made it more clear at the last meeting that we're together.

"Unless anyone else has something else to add, we're done here." Indra says.

When no one speaks up we get up. I take the papers and walk out, knowing Indra and Octavia are following me.

"Sky Princess." I hear and stop. I turn and glare at the Ice Queen. "Since I have the beloved leader if your ally, who will lead you into battle?"

Indra steps forward. "Clarke will. And be warned, I have never seen so much determination to win since Heda united the clans."

The Ice Queen just scoffs and struts off followed by an entourage of people, waiting for orders.

I smile at Indra. Though I know she's wary of me and my people, I also know she's extremely loyal to Lexa. I guess that loyalty now extends to me. "Thanks for that."

"I was only speaking the truth."

Octavia nudges her and Indra scowls at her. "Sure. Because you're definitely not a decent person under your face paint."

"Your imagination has gone wild, Octavia. I hope you will use the same creativity to win this war."


	47. Chapter 47

Lexa's POV

The Ice Queen storms in and I smirk, resting my head against the wall. They still have not tied me up again, for whatever reason. Kane posing as a guard (and consort) stands near me, on edge. He is probably there to make sure I do not try to murder their Queen. Though I doubt if he would really mind of I do.

I will not, however, and wait patiently for Clarke to get me out somehow. Perhaps that is why Kane is here.

She stops in front of me, no hint of a smile on her face.

"What's she up to?" She hisses.

"Who?"

"Clarke. She declared war on my nation. She said her only intention is to get you back and to take me off my throne. She's looped your people into fighting with her. And she's going to lead them. Predict what she's going to do!"

The guards perk up slightly when they hear her intentions. They definitely do not like their Queen as much as she thinks they do.

I grin. Clarke leading our people into war. And yet she does not want to destroy the nation, only to free me and the people of the Ice Nation from their insane ruler. Even in times of war she is thinking of others.

"Her Highness asked you a question, prisoner." Kane growls, nudging me with his boot.

"You may as well kill me now." I say in a bored tone. "Nothing could ever make me betray her."

"I will set you free if you tell me." She offers.

I am taken aback. She thinks she is in love with me and she is willing to let me go? For this? Clarke really must have shaken her up.

"No."

"You know what to do." She says to her guards and Kane before turning on her heel and leaving.

The door slams shut behind her.

The guards move closer to me, some with smirks on their faces. There are four of them, not including Kane. Two break off and go to either side of me.

I can easily fight them off, especially since now I have food and water in my system. I am not as weak. But they do not know that. The two yank me up. I groan pitifully as I can, which makes then smile.

I study them, gauging their threat level. I quickly conclude that none of them are very threatening at all.

I pull my arms free from the two's grasps. Their faces are full of shock when I punch them both in the nose. Blood streams from them and they stumble backwards.

I quickly punch the other two in the sides and they fall to their knees, gasping for breath. I see Kane come up from the corner of my eye. I know he must keep up his disguise so I let him grab me. He is stronger than I expect, but I manage to yank him forward.

Once he is in front of me, I grab one arm and pull it until he is flush against me. One arm goes around his neck and I stare down the frightened guards.

"If you agree to leave peacefully I will not snap his neck."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for 5,000 reads!! You're all beautiful amazing people! Thanks again and stay awesome!


	48. Chapter 48

Lexa's POV

One guard holds up his hands. "Fine, fine! We'll go!"

"What are you doing, sir?" A young guard whispers.

"This is one of Her Majesty's hand picked advisors. She will not be pleased if we allow him to die just to subdue a prisoner."

The guard's eyes widen in fear and he nods furiously. "We'll leave. You will let him go?"

"Only if you go peacefully. No harming me or the other prisoners." I use my Commander voice and it makes them tremble.

They leave quickly without a glance back at their comrade being held hostage by me.

"I know you won't hurt or betray Clarke." Kane murmurs, rubbing his neck. To keep up the lie, I made sure to hold him tight enough to leave a bruise. "But remember that getting yourself killed would hurt her, too."

He gives me a respectful nod before leaving as well.

"Who is he?" My mother questions. "I heard you call him Kane. Is he an ally?"

I search the ground and pick up two sturdy looking wires.

"Yes, he is. He is one of the Sky People and is on their Council. I do not know how he got in here."

I slide the wires into the locks on one of mother's handcuffs. My hands go through the motions and that hand is free in less than a minute.

"Thank you, Lexa. I trust your judgement. If you think he is a good man, we will treat him as such." My mother says.

I allow myself a small smile as I work on the other cuffs. Mother collapses on the ground once all her bindings are gone. I would worry, but seeing the blissfully happy look on her face reassures me that she is okay.

I work on my father's chains next, watching them fall with a loud clink against the wall. He immediately gathers me into his arms, hugging me tightly.

"Hey, sweetheart." He breathes in my ear. "I'm so proud of you."

I want to ask what exactly he is proud of, but I want to revel in this moment more. Mother stands on shaky legs and hugs us, too.

"Hello, dear. It's nice to have non painful human contact again."

I pull away and let them have a moment. They stand, in an enemy's dungeon where they have been held and tortured for years, crying with happiness.

I cannot say that their show of emotions is weakness. In fact, they look stronger than ever in my eyes.

My parents turn to me, staying close to each other.

"Sorry we have not had much time to talk. Maybe once we get out of this horrid palace we will find the time." Father says.

"Let us just focus on getting out before anything else. Kane will help us and most likely come with us, but we will need to find a way to escape."


	49. Chapter 49

Clarke's POV

"What do you suggest, Indra?" I ask, scanning the map of the clans before me.

I have gathered Octavia, Raven, my mom, and the Grounders' best strategists.

"I suggest we survey here first. We should have a scout blend in and gather intelligence about the community. If there are any that would like to fight the Ice Queen, we should reveal ourselves and recruit them."

I nod. The Ice Nation is mostly barren landscape covered in snow and this is a border town, a small one. Unlike most of the land, it's extremely fertile and is warm enough for crops to grow. The village is centered around farming.

"That's a good plan. Does anyone have a better one or something to add to it?"

No one speaks up and mom looks reluctantly impressed. I get the feeling she thinks everyone that's not from the Ark are not very bright and only think about fighting.

"Alright. When can this be put into motion?" I ask.

"I can send a scout as early as tomorrow. We are lucky. The winters in the Ice Nation are particularly harsh, and it is now turning to the growing season."

I end the meeting and the Grounders walk off after giving me nods of respect.

I turn my attention to my mom and see her concern in her expression.

"Is Kane going to be okay? I don't like that you sent him into that castle by himself."

"I didn't send him anywhere, he volunteered. He's smart, mom, he'll be okay."

"I know," she sighs, "but I still worry."

"He has a communication device, Abby. He'll let us know about Lexa and what the Ice Queen is up to." Raven attempts to reassure her.

"Communication device? Not a radio?"

"Not a radio. The walls in the castle are thin and him being overheard would be almost a guarantee. So I made a new thing. Kane and I learned Morse Code, and without getting into too many technical words, he taps a button on his. I'll hear it on mine and translate it. I tap on a button back. He'll hear it and translate it."

"What if one of the people in the palace know Morse Code?" Mom panics.

"It's pretty unlikely. He'll be fine, Abby." Raven says.

I hear a beep and look around frantically. Is there a hidden bomb? "Do you guys hear a beeping noise?"

"Oh!" Raven perks up. "That must be the thing!"

She pulls out some contraption and presses a button on the side. Some random noises play from the speaker.

"What is that?" Octavia questions.

"This is the thing that's connecting us to Kane. He said that he's fine, Lexa's fine and he's made himself a consort of the Queen."


	50. Chapter 50

Clarke's POV

I look out over the horizon with a grim expression. The village turned out good. There are many who want to fight the Ice Queen and have joined our ranks. I made sure to speak to all potential recruits personally to make sure they understand my intent. We gave the village the food and supplies that we can spare.

All has gone well with recruiting and helping those we can. But scouts have reported the Ice Nation's army getting closer and closer. I made sure to position the troops in a way that when the inevitable first battle starts, as few citizens as possible will be hurt. There are no houses nearby that aren't a tent for soldiers.

The sound of snow being stepped on comes from behind me, but I recognize the paces.

"Hey, Princess. Your mom's worried." Octavia says gently.

"Let her worry. Do you see the gray in the sky? Over there in the distance? That's their army. They're close, only a day and a half's walk away."

"Watching them as they get closer could be dangerous, we can't lose you. Their scouts might not hesitate to take you out." Raven frets, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Let's go back to camp. We should all rest before fighting."

I allow my friends to steer me in the direction of our tent. We share because we insisted, wanting as many soldiers as possible to have shelter from the cold nights.

"You do know you're not fighting, right?" I ask Raven. She may be getting around fine now with her leg brace, but I want her nowhere near the battlefield.

"I know." She doesn't sound disappointed or angry about the fact anymore, just resigned. "But I still get to make you guys bombs and stuff."

I chuckle, "Of course, you wouldn't be Raven if you went a day without making something or blowing something up."

"You know it." She sobers, "You two be careful. I want to know the second you get back."

"We will."

We walk silently into our tent, the three of us each laying down on our beds.

The last thing I see before I slip into unconsciousness is Lexa's beautiful face. I'm coming for you, my Commander, I promise.

Metal clanging wakes me up and I jolt up and rush out of the tent. A messenger runs up.

"Ma'am, it's the Ice Nation army. They're here sooner than we expected."

I nod and they scurry off, hopefully to alert everyone else.

I rush back into the tent to greet Raven and Octavia's sleepy faces.

"What's up?" Octavia yawns.

"They're here. Raven, get out of here."

She nods and grabs a briefcase I forced her to pack just in case. She doesn't protest, just tells us not to die before she runs off.

Octavia mutters out "Oh shit" and jumps up. Luckily we didn't take off our armor before falling asleep, so that's one less thing we have to do before heading out. I reapply my war makeup and grab my gun, ammo, and a sword.

Octavia does the same and we walk out ready for the first battle of the war.


	51. Chapter 51

Clarke's POV WARNING! VIOLENCE

My eyes immediately find my mother, who's hiding behind someone that's fighting off three Ice Warriors. I head there, cutting every enemy in reach with practiced swings of my sword. My training with Lexa wasn't just an excuse to see her, after all.

I thrust my sword into the first attacker and watch them fall to the ground, clutching their bleeding abdomen. They won't live long, I hit an artery.

"Get her out of here and keep her safe. If you see Raven, keep her safe too." I order the soldier. She nods and begins escorting mom away from the battlefield.

It's amazing, how far the Ice Warriors traveled in less than a day. They don't seem tired at all. Their familiarity with the land may have been an advantage, or perhaps there's a shortcut here that the scouts couldn't find.

The other two attackers focus on me and raise their weapons. One has a spear, the other a curved sword.

The spear stabs toward me and I dodge, swiping my sword to hit the wooden part. The wood is much tougher than I thought and my sharp sword doesn't even make a dent.

The sword person moves fast and tries to stab me in the stomach. I dodge and stab them in the stomach. They fall to their knees, gurgling.

An elbow hits my back and I stumble forward, causing the spear to lightly scrape my face. I move to the side to see who jabbed me. It was Bellamy, of course. He's grunting and fighting a few Ice Warriors. He gives me an apologetic smile before refocusing on his fight.

I turn my attention back to the spear and our weapons come together with a thunk. I press forward hard and the spear is getting almost too close to its wielder. I know this pushing contest won't go anywhere. I shove hard and they step back, trying to regain their balance. I thrust my sword toward their heart, but they fall and is end up cutting into their neck.

I wince as blood sprays out before dripping down my victim's corpse. Now I definitely am covered in blood and probably look like death herself.

I survey the camp quickly, trying not to look at any faces on the bodies littering the ground. We seem to be winning. As Lexa says, in war, no one wins. That certainly seems true now.

An Ice Warrior shouts out something in their language and they begin to retreat. They grab the wounded least likely to die and run.

I feel like I'm covered in a thick layer of filth that I won't be able to wash off with the strongest waterfall.

Indra walks up to me, limping slightly and frowning. "That was quick. And there weren't many of them."

"I noticed that too," Octavia says.

"Why do you think that is?" I ask, leading them back to the war tent.

A gunshot rings out and I jolt in pain.


	52. Chapter 52

Lexa's POV

"How did you get in here?" I ask Kane. The Ice Queen sent him in here, most likely to check up on us.

"Through the front door. The village our people helped on the outskirts of the Ice Nation was kind enough to give me clothes so I wouldn't stand out so much. They let me in and I explained to the Queen that I wanted to become her consort. She asked me questions about hypothetical scenarios and then hired me."

"Impressive." My father nods at him respectfully.

"Thank you, sir." Kane turns his attention on me. "Clarke has been doing incredibly well leading us, but I know she'll want you back as soon as possible."

"Do you have a plan to get us out of here?" I ask, making sure to enunciate us so he understands I'm not leaving my parents behind.

"Yes, I do. Though I did not plan for me to be getting anyone other than you out, it should still work. Who are they to you?"

"They are my parents." I respond, watching his reaction. He seems surprised, but does not question the matter further.

"Alright. Just put these cloaks on and follow me. Keep your heads down and act like servants."

I pull on the cloak, a dark brown one that reminds me of the day Clarke and I ran away from one of my villages that was about to explode.

I hunch over and stare at the ground. My parents put on their cloaks and we follow Kane. He looks around for a moment to make sure that no one is in the hallway to see us.

I shuffle behind him as he leads us and use Kane's feet as a guide so I know where I am going. We are stopped at the front door by a guard.

"Halt. Kane, you know Her Majesty doesn't want anyone to come in or out of her castle."

"I am here on her orders. Let us pass. Unless you would like me to go get Her Majesty and explain to her why I won't be on time?"

The guard shifts nervously and I cannot see his face, but I bet he is white as the snow outside. "Go ahead. Just forget this conversation ever happened, please."

"What conversation?" Kane asks good-naturedly and the guard laughs nervously.

"That was surprisingly easy." I murmur once we walk out of the castle.

"Yes, it was but the guards have learned to both fear and respect me. Stay down while we're in the city, only when we're walking through the icy desert should you ever show your face. Clarke is a three days walk from here. We'll need to go into the city and get supplies before we leave."

Kane gets everything easily, the people already know and love him. He puts all of the supplies into one pack.

"I will carry it," I say. "My parents are weak from years of being in there and I am stronger than you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It didn't end on much of a cliffhanger but on the bright side, there's going to be a Lexa and Clarke reunion soon! Or is there? (Mwa hahaha) Thank you beautiful humans for reading and stay awesome!


	53. Chapter 53

Lexa's POV

Walking through the city is almost alarmingly easy. The guards must not have noticed that we are gone yet. We keep our heads down as Kane walks confidently ahead, greeting people in the streets by name.

No one pays attention to us.

"We're going to head into the field of ice. Remember, it'll be a few days before we get to them. It's windy and traveling during the night is not an option. It's too cold, even I know we'd get hypothermia." Kane explains.

I say nothing, knowing some in the city are travelers and might recognize my voice.

He is right about the freezing temperatures. After an hour in the snowy desert, I feel as though my entire body is stiff and heavy. The wind blows so hard sometimes it makes it difficult to breathe. Time passes excruciatingly slowly.

My parents are exhausted, but they keep moving alongside Kane and I. Though they are most likely still weak, they are determined. I admire their persistence.

I feel cold, but my fiery heart keeps beating, keeps me from turning into an icicle. It keeps me warm, the memory of her, the memory of her arms around me. My heart refuses to stop, to allow me to rest for too long. We only stop to allow my parents to catch their breath and to sleep during the frigid nights.

My body feels heavy but I am light as the snow we are trudging through. Each step takes me closer to her, to my love.

Kane sometimes glances at me out of the corner of his eyes and grins like he understands.

The air slowly but noticeably gets warmer until I have to take off the cloak. We must be close.

"They're only half an hour away from here if we don't stop," Kane says as if he knows what I am thinking.

"Will you be okay?" I ask my parents. I do want to get to Clarke, but I do not want my parents to overexert themselves.

"Do not worry about us, Heda. We should be fine if it is not a long walk." My mother assures me.

I reach out and squeeze their hands before letting go. "Then let us go. You will like Clarke."

"I already do," my father says, smiling gently.

This walk feels like the longest stretch yet. I am so close to her, yet so far away. I keep my pace even and fast enough to appease my impatience, but slow enough so my parents can keep up without too much trouble.

When the camp comes into view, I almost stumble at the sight. There are bodies everywhere and warriors trying to patch up tents.

Indra sees me and I am so relieved to see her alive.

"Heda. Clarke is in the medical tent."

All color drains from my face and I run to where I know she is. She cannot be dead, not after this. Clarke...

I throw open the medical tent's opening and my breath catches at the sight of her.


	54. Chapter 54

Lexa's POV

There is blood dripping down her side where Abby's working on patching her up. Clarke stares at me in disbelief. She is turned in a way that I cannot see the extent of her injuries.

I am by her side in an instant, gently holding her hand. I look into her beautiful blue eyes. "Are you alright? Are you injured?"

Abby's head jolts up at the sound of my voice. Clarke glances from her to me, looking lost. Does she have a concussion? Does she not remember me?

"Lexa?" Clarke breathes and she sounds so broken it shatters my heart.

"Yes, Clarke?"

She reaches out a shaking hand and gently cups my face. "You're here. You can see her, too, right?" She asks her mother.

"Yes, I can. She's here, sweetie. And you got lucky this time. The bullet just grazed you. Please be careful. I don't want to lose another member of my family."

I relax. She is okay. Clarke is okay.

"You're here," Clarke repeats, staring at me with what almost seems like awe.

I do not know who moves first, but the next thing I know I am enveloped in a hug. She sniffles, burying her face in my neck as she cries silently. Abby sneaks off, giving me one warning glare before leaving the tent.

We stand there in each other's arms for an unknown amount of time. When we pull back, we stay close. Our hands are still on each other's waists. Clarke and I lean in at the same time and we meet in the middle with a kiss.

It is not frantic or desperate, just slow and emotional in a way I had no idea a kiss could be before Clarke. She giggles happily and we both end up smiling so hard the kiss stops being a kiss and our teeth clack together.

We pull back again.

"Don't you ever do that again." Clarke whispers, the words loud in our silent tent. "I was so worried. I don't care if my life's on the line, don't leave again."

"I cannot promise you that." Clarke looks at me like I have just told her I killed her mother and begins to move away. "With this world, we'll be put in dangerous situations again." She stops trying to distance herself from me and looks into my eyes. She looks scared. Does she think I am about to break up with her? "There is no guarantee of your safety. That is what is important to me. If I can do anything to ensure that you are okay, I will do it. Even if it meant me going to my death."

"But..."

"I love you. And I want to keep you safe." I murmur.

"Then let's do our best not to get into that type of situation again. Because I would do the same; I would try to protect you. I love you too."

Our lips press together again and I vow to never hurt her like that again. I will try not to cause her to worry about me. As much as I can when our people are at war against the woman who captured me.


	55. Chapter 55

Lexa's POV

"Hey Clarke, is it true? I heard the Commander is back and I just saw Kane and two other-" Octavia says, throwing open the entrance of the tent. We are still kissing and break apart. She covers her face with both hands, blocking us from her sight. "MY EYES!"

Raven rushes in and sees how close we are and Octavia's childish hiding. She bursts out laughing and Clarke blushes. I reach down and grab her hand.

Abby runs in with a dagger held up. "What's wrong? Is Clarke okay?"

She pauses when she sees us, scowling angrily at me.

"We're fine, Mom. Octavia burst in-"

"Is it safe?" Octavia asks. Raven swats her arm and she uncovers her eyes. "Oh, good."

I meet Abby's murderous gaze and Raven clears her throat. "It didn't look like they were doing anything when I came in."

"We were kissing, Mom." Clarke sighs. "She's my girlfriend, I'm allowed to do that."

Abby gives me one last death glare before storming out.

"Sorry for getting you guys in trouble with your mom." Octavia apologizes.

"It's fine. She can't do anything. I'm leader of the Sky People and I'm dating the Commander." Clarke looks concerned despite her reassurances.

She has succeeded her mother, become more powerful than the woman that brought her into the world. I have noticed that the Sky People do not want their children to be better than them and will refuse to admit or acknowledge their children's achievements.

My people are the opposite. We teach our children what we know and hope that they will expand on that knowledge. The older generation of Sky People will be succeeded by this generation. This generation will be succeeded by the next. That is the way of life, and the older generations rarely see that.

"Where did she even get the knife?" Raven questions, staring at where Abby left.

"We are in the midst of a war. Weapons are needed just in case. Are you telling me that you do not have something to protect yourself?" I ask.

Raven grins and pulls a sword hidden in her brace, made to look like it is part of the contraption itself. "Pretty awesome, huh? Designed it myself."

Octavia high fives her, "Nice."

"I'm glad you're back." Clarke murmurs, focused on me.

I give her a shy smile and gently squeeze her hand.

"Sadly, I witnessed just how much." Octavia jokes. "Hey wait, I saw two more people standing awkwardly with Kane. Were those other prisoners?"

"Yes, they were. For many years." I turn to Clarke. "I would like you to meet them, if that is alright with you."

"Of course."

"They are my parents."

Everyone freezes, staring at me with wide eyes.

"I thought that they're dead." Clarke says.

"They were imprisoned by the Ice Queen in her Dungeon, where she kept them and let her guards torture them."

"Shit, that's awful. Are they okay?" Raven asks.

"It is a miracle they are sane after all they went through. But I believe that they will eventually be fine."

"I think I speak for the bird and I when I say that we want to meet them as well. If you want Clarke to meet them privately, that's fine." Octavia says.

"The bird? Really?" Raven groans.

"Oh hush it's an awesome nickname."

"No it's not."

"Yes it is."

"No it's not."

"You are welcome to come with Clarke and I." I interrupt their odd bickering.


	56. Chapter 56

Lexa's POV

Clarke and I walk a few paces behind Octavia and Raven. They bicker and give us space.

"Is it alright that they are coming with us? I responded for you. If it makes you uncomfortable or you want to meet them alone, or just with me, or wait..." Clarke is looking at me with an indescribable expression. I may know her well, but I cannot decipher it. "It is up to you."

"You were held captive for what seemed like forever, at least to me. Though I'm sure it felt like that to us both. But even after all you've been through, you still manage to worry about me and my feelings."

Clarke shakes her head with a small smile on her face and I realize what that expression means. It is the one I wear when I look at her. It is one of awe, of happiness, of love.

"Of course. I knew you would be missing me and bided my time until I could get out and back to you."

"Missed is the understatement of the day. But it's okay, really. I promise." Clarke squeezes my hand.

She still looks concerned or... "You are nervous."

Clarke shifts. "Yeah, it's just... They're your parents, you know? I don't want to mess this up."

We both stop walking. Raven and Octavia notice and pause, but keep their distance. They have been maturing while I was gone. They would have rushed up and asked what is wrong just a few months ago. War changes people. And perhaps grief, though it is odd to think about, for me that has made them change.

I have noticed differences in Clarke as well. She is more confident.

"Clarke, your mother would rather be dead than speak to me in a nice tone. That is both of our faults." She frowns but I cut her off. "I love you, Clarke. And from what I have told them already, they like you."

We begin walking again and Clarke grins. "You told them about me?"

"Of course."

"Hey, lovebirds, they're just up ahead if you want to duck into a tent and make out before you see them." Raven says.

"I am sure we have walked in on you and the other mechanic doing much worse." I remark.

"At least I'm not as loud as Octavia and Lincoln."

"True." I smirk and Octavia flushes.

"I'm not that-"

"Yes you are, O. It is a well known fact." Clarke says.

Octavia groans and my parents walk up to us.

"Hello, Lexa. You must be Clarke." My mother says, sticking out her hand.

Clarke reaches out as well and they shake hands. "How did you know?"

"Lexa's descriptions were incredibly accurate. Plus you are the only blonde."

My father moves closer, studying her intently. I squeeze her hand gently. My instincts are screaming at me to block her from any potential harm, even if it comes from my own father.

Then he does something I did not expect.


	57. Chapter 57

Lexa's POV

My father laughs and grins widely. He sticks out his hand and they shake. Clarke is moving automatically with a confused expression.

"You never said that she is this pretty!" My father comments, smiling at her. "You two look good together. It is nice to meet you."

Clarke squeezes my hand and looks much more comfortable, though still a bit on edge. "Thank you, sir. It's great to meet you, too."

"Do not bother calling me sir. Welcome to the family, Clarke of the Sky People."

"Who are those two?" Mother asks.

"That is Raven, a mechanic. She is good with technology."

"I blew up a bridge once."

"Which we had to fix." Raven flushes sheepishly. "That is Octavia, who is training under Indra. She is a good warrior."

Mother looks shocked. "Indra is mentoring her? If I remember correctly, she does not train anyone."

"She has mentored very few, and all have turned into great fighters."

"Interesting." Mother seems impressed by them. "And Clarke has been leading our people in your absence?"

"Not leading, no. I've been commanding both of our people in this war. Indra has spoken on your people's behalf. I lead my people." Clarke explains.

"Ah. Have there been many battles?" My father asks.

He has that twinkle on his eye, the one most of my people have. It is the yearning to fight, to defeat enemies.

"Only one so far. The Ice People came as we slept. We didn't expect them so soon. We lost many, but they lost more."

"Did you kill the warrior that injured you?" I ask Clarke.

"I killed the bastard," Octavia says. "He was so smug and focused on Clarke, he didn't see my blade, not even when I took his head off."

"But you are okay?" Mother looks like she is concerned about Clarke.

"I'm okay. The bullet just grazed me."

"Bullet?" Mother questions.

"They are little pieces of metal that the Mountain Men use in their guns." I explain.

"Ah. They are allies now, right? The Mountain Men and the Ice People?"

"Not the Ice People, the Ice Queen. The Ice People are not the enemy in this war, it is merely the Ice Queen." I remind her.

"I would like to see that sad excuse for a woman's face when she is killed." Father growls.

"You know that revenge creates rage. Rage makes you sloppy. Sloppy kills. You have both been in that dungeon for years, you are not fit to go onto the battlefield. You both know this."

My mother sighs. "We know, but that does not mean we have to like it. We can retrain out bodies so we can be useful to our people once more."

"Fighting is not the only way to be useful. Clarke is a doctor. Some are farmers. Some are creators. You will find your place." I murmur.

A courier runs up, out of breath. "The Ice Army has fallen back and is surrounding the castle."

"How are we going to get in?" Clarke mutters, frustrated.

I take a deep breath. She will not like this, but... "I have an idea."


	58. Chapter 58

Clarke's POV

"Are you sure this will work?" I ask Lexa when we are back in the comfort of what is now our tent instead of just mine.

"No. I am hopeful, but there is always room for error. They will most likely fall for it."

"Alright. I trust you."

She reaches out and gently holds my hand. Her thumb rubs soothing circles.

"I am glad. But if things do not work out, do not hesitate to run away. I cannot lose you."

"And I can't lose you. There's no way in hell I'm going to run and leave you."

Lexa sighs but smiles. "Very well. I know that it is nearly impossible to change your mind on matters like this. Please do not take any unnecessary risks."

"I can't promise that." I murmur.

"I know."

"Hey, lovebirds!" Raven yells. She is among a few highly trusted warriors that are waiting outside for Lexa and me. "Quit making heart eyes at each other so we can go win a war!"

I lead Lexa out of our tent. "Lets do this."

Lexa looks apologetic as she lets go of my hand. Her plan is brilliant, and it just might work. But that doesn't stop her from worrying about me.

Indra hands her a long chain with handcuffs attached to it. It's a wonder that they actually had it at all, let alone here.

"We use these for prisoners of war." Indra explains stiffly, answering my unasked question.

A warrior clasps the hand cuffs on my wrists. Lexa grimaces at the clang of metal.

"They will bruise," Lexa says. I keep forgetting that she was restrained in these while she was gone. I reach out as best I can and squeeze her arm. "I apologize, but it must look realistic, so you will get bruises. Your weapons are already hidden and the cuffs should be easy to get off."

I hear the sounds of two more cuffs and turn to see Octavia and Raven now attached to the chain.

"Raven you're not going." I remind her.

"So you don't need back up? Look in my jacket, I made a shit ton of grenades. And I have extra ammo. And guns."

I look to Lexa. "It's up to you. It's your idea."

She frowns. "If Raven wants to go and can be useful, I have no problem with it."

Raven grins and Indra groans.

"I am to be chained behind her? Heda, she reeks of oil and metal."

"We can switch places if it'll bother you that much." Raven offers.

Indra looks surprised and nods. "Thank you."

Raven easily slips out if the cuffs and moves so she's behind Indra.

Another warrior helps attach them to the chain. They nod respectfully at us and walk away.

"Are you all ready for this?" Lexa asks.

Indra says something in their language that I can't translate (Lexa was giving me lessons in it before she was taken). Raven lets out a whoop and Octavia has her serious face on. This is really happening. We're going to attack the Ice Castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm headed to Germany with my mom and Oma (grandma) for the next week and a half or so. I'll try to regularly update (every three days is what I usually do). Stay awesome!


	59. Chapter 59

Lexa's POV

The warriors tense as I near them and I raise my chin defiantly. They glance between me and my prisoners with skeptical eyes.

The leader of the group steps forward. "Heda. Why are you here? We will be forced to attack if you get too close."

I pull on the chain, making my prisoners stumble. Indra swears in Trigedasleng.

"I did not come to fight. But if your warriors provoke me, I will not hesitate to slaughter you all."

"Of course. My squadron will flank you and your prisoners as I lead you to the Castle so no others will try to stop you. Right this way."

I nod and walk beside him. He is nervous. My earlier threat must have scared him.

He knocks on the giant door covering the entrance. It opens a crack and an eye widens when it sees me.

It quickly shuts again.

"My Lady, you will want to come to the door!" The person yells fearfully, their voice shaking.

I hear an annoyed huff and footsteps before the Ice Queen herself opens the door. She smirks when she sees me.

"Lexa." I fight the urge to shout and remind her that she is to never call me that after all she has done. "I knew you would come crawling back." She peers past me, her grin widening. "And I see you brought guests. Come in." The Ice Queen leads me to her throne room, sitting on her crystal throne. When I was younger she told me that it is made of crystal because it resembles ice. "What is this? Why have you brought me some Sky People and a general of yours?"

"The Sky People are of no further use to me. They are an invasive nuisance. I have brought them as an offering. They would make excellent sacrifices."

The Sky People tense, rattling the chain. I turn and hush them. Clarke's eyes are big and fearful. I beg myself not to break.

"Lexa?" Gods, her voice is so small. I feel like I am grinding her down with my heel. "Are you really going to kill us?"

"Yes."

Raven explodes. "What the fuck! We trusted you! Why would you betray us AGAIN after all our people have been through together? You have tolerated us, our presence! We helped you save your people! You've saved Clarke's life multiple times!"

"She's doing what she has to." Octavia murmurs.

"ExcUSE me?" Raven growls.

"She's a leader, Raven. War has casualties. Why lead her own people to their deaths when she can kill us and save her people's?"

Raven mutters words too explicit to repeat.

"Lexa." Clarke is pleading. Gods, I hate myself for putting her through this. "Please, please don't do this! This isn't the way! We can win this war together!" I do not respond and her eyes fill with tears. "Please, Lexa, I love you!"

I look her in the eyes. "I know." I keep my face straight with a dead expression.

Clarke cries silently, tears streaming down her face as she stares at me with disbelief and utter hopelessness.


	60. Chapter 60

Lexa's POV 

The Ice Queen flicks her hand and a guard grabs the chain and attaches it to the wall. He growls at them to be silent. She leads me to a nearby table close enough to keep an eye on my prisoners. 

A servant rushes up and hands us both what I assume is tea. I do not drink. If there is one thing I have learned about the Ice Queen, it is that she is not to be trusted. 

"You should make your guards and warriors attend their sacrifice," I suggest casually, my fingers brushing lightly over the tea cup. 

"Mm?"

"To show your power and influence. You convinced the Commander of the Nations to be on your side. More fear and awe will smite down whatever tiny rebellion problems you have been having."

She frowns. "I have said nothing about the rebellious nuisances to you."

My heart skips a best but I keep up my calm facade. "All of the Nations know of your troubled with controlling your people. This can make the others think that you are not so weak."

"You think I am weak?" There is a fury imbedded in her words. 

"No. I think your people do not understand you and what you are doing."

The Ice Queen grins at me. "Inviting my soldiers and guards is a good idea, Lexa." She stands. "Forgive me, love, but I must make the preparations. They are to be sacrificed tonight. Unless that is too soon for you?"

She is testing me to see if this is a trap. She thinks that if it is, I will be inflexible in the date of their executions. 

"Tonight is fine."

"Good. I will assign a guard to you. Those rebels come out of the woodworks like cockroaches. I cannot allow you to be harmed."

"Thank you." The words leave a sour taste in my mouth. 

"No problem, dear. I will return."

She signals a nearby guard as she leaves. He stands up straighter and takes her place at the table. 

Once she is gone, he glances around. There are few other guards, but they are all outranked by him. They will say nothing bad of him. 

"Commander, what are you doing? You cannot sacrifice these people. They are important."

I look him in the eyes. "All people are important."

"Yes, but they are essential to winning the war. Killing them for the Queen's trust is not worth it. Their deaths will further her cause instead of ours!" He whispers, gesturing wildly.

I say nothing, absentmindedly stirring the tea. He sighs, but hopefully understands what I am saying. He drops his head in his hands for a moment. He peers up at me. 

"You would really kill the woman you love to appease the woman you hate?" He questions quietly. 

I will my eyes not to flicker to Clarke and am silent. There are no words for this. 

The Ice Queen waltzes in with a beaming smile. "The festivities will begin soon."

I knew she was listening.


	61. Chapter 61

Clarke's POV

Lexa does what she does best as we're chained to a wall. She appears calm and rational, yet cold and unfeeling. 

But when the guard says "You would really kill the woman you love to appease the woman you hate?" I can see how those words affect her. Her shoulders slump slightly and she takes in a breath so small it wouldn't disturb a blade of grass. 

She's worried. I am too. 

I don't hide the hatred in my eyes as the Ice Queen waltzes back in with a wide grin on her face. I yank on my bindings, momentarily forgetting they're there, trying to get to her. 

"What the fuck, Griffin?" Raven groans when my movement pulls her off of her "comfy pre-being murdered sitting spot".

I ignore her, glaring at the woman who has hurt the ones I care about. She must have been listening to Lexa and the guard talking. 

The Ice Queen talks to her quietly and I can't make out what they're saying. She then turns to me with a smirk. She walks forward with confident steps. 

"Hello, Clarke. I have to say, it is truly a pleasure to see you again. Especially like this. I can't wait to kill you."

I glare at her. "Then kill me. Or are you really so weak you have to wait for your not-so-loyal subjects to get here? The Ice Queen is one to be feared, I heard. I thought its because of your strength, your power." I spit at her shoes. "But no, you are an insane woman who gets joy from hurting and killing others. But you're Queen, so you don't even get your hands dirty. You're nothing but a coward that hides behind a crown."

"The Princess stands up to the Queen," Octavia murmurs, looking both concerned for my safety (and probably my sanity) and impressed. 

The Queen gestures for a guard to stand next to her. She takes his sword and raises it. 

I stare unflinchingly into her eyes. The sword moves in slow motion back into its sheathe. 

The Ice Queen laughs. "You almost had me, Clarke of the Sky People. You are feisty. I can see why Lexa liked you." She puts emphasis on liked and I really want to punch her in the face, the fucker. "That's enough squabbling for now. The festivities are beginning!" 

She claps her hands and servants stream out from the doors with various things. They begin working, silently preparing for the party. 

"Gather the other guards," she tells the warrior that was talking to Lexa. "This is mandatory. Those who do not come will be beheaded. And do not think I did not hear your words to the Commander. Tonight is your execution as well."

"Yes ma'am." He stutters out and leaves. 

Things are set up quickly. At the right corner of the room is a wooden stage where our deaths will be watched. There is a make shift throne next to the Ice Queen's throne (Lexa's being smaller, that arrogant little...) Tables line the one bare space, covered in utensils and candles and food that looks really good. 

The guards come in, restraining the one that's going to be killed with us. He doesn't struggle, his head is down as he watches the floor. 

"We are gathered here to witness something truly magnificent! The deaths of the leaders of the Sky People!"

The looks of horror on some of the faces of the soldiers reassure me that we have enough on our side. Hopefully. 

I glance at the others, making sure they're ready. They all nod with grim looks on their faces. 

Here goes nothing.


	62. Chapter 62

Clarke's POV

Lexa nods, a slight movement that would be hard for anyone to catch if they weren't looking for it.

I give my friends (and Indra. I think she'll murder me if I call her my friend) thumbs up and we spring into action.

I yank at the cuffs, relieved when the fall away from my wrists with a metallic clang. I hear the sound again and again as the others pull themselves free. I reach in my clothes and pull out my sword.

Lexa pulls her sword out from its sheathe and attacks the Ice Queen. That insane dictator is snarling like a rabid animal, meeting Lexa's thrust with a nearby soldier's sword.

I tear my eyes from them and leap into the fray of the battle. The ones on our side are all wearing red to symbolize their alliance to the Commander. I have to admit, that's a smart move. In the midst of all this fighting it's difficult to tell who's on who's side. Especially since they're all Royal Guard, so other than the red they're all wearing the same armor.

A non red wearing warrior runs up to me with her battle axe raised and a snarl on her face. She brings it down over her head with impressive power, and I raise my sword and hold it with both hands so it doesn't slice me in half.

The sharp blade cuts into my palm and I grit my teeth, hissing quietly at the pain as she increases the pressure. Then I hear a crack. We both look up and by her gasp, I can tell that we're both surprised to see that my sword is cutting through the wooden handle.

The axe part falls to the ground with a crash. I had no idea that my sword is this sharp. I guess when Lexa told me she'd gotten me a sword made of the best material for fighting, she really meant it. I had no doubts of course, and I don't know much about swords but the craftsmanship on this is so incredible I know it must have cost her a fortune. And when I confronted her about it, she just told me that my safety is worth it.

The warrior tries to stab me with the broken off handle, but she's shaky with shock and I'm sure fear is a factor. I stab her through the chest, scanning the area to see who on my side needs help.

Octavia and Indra are of course holding their own, and Raven is laughing manically as she blows up enemy after enemy as they try to get to her. As long as she doesn't run out of bombs and bullets, I think she'll be fine. Maybe.

Someone taps my shoulder and I whirl around, sword raised. It's a warrior that's not on our side. He slashes at me with a curved blade, a whistling sound emitting from it as it slices through the air. I recognize the design from an old Earth History book on weapons.

Where the hell did he get a katana?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over 9,000 hits and 200 kudos??? Thank you amazing humans so much! :D Stay awesome!!


	63. Chapter 63

Clarke's POV

The blade of the katana gets alarmingly close to my abdomen as I'm awestruck with this sword. I leap back just in time so that my guts aren't spilling into the floor. I just can't get over that sword. I never thought I would be the one drooling over a sword. I thought that it would be Lexa.

But float me, that sword is awesome. I want ten.

"Where did you get that sword?" I ask as I duck from another attack.

"A trader." He grunts as I elbow him in the stomach.

He expertly deflects me, the vibrations of our swords hitting each other thrumming through my body.

"Hey Princess!" I hear Raven yell. I don't respond; losing focus could mean my death. "Need any help?"

"No." I respond quickly, leaping to the side as I'm nearly cleaved in half.

Her weapons of choice are bombs and guns. She'd either blow me up along with him or shoot me instead because we're constantly moving. Our feet are dancing across the battlefield as we both try to get the upper hand.

My muscles are screaming their protest; I haven't fought this hard since Lexa was teaching me.

I glance over to her to make sure that she's okay and hiss as I don't dodge in time. There's a small cut on my arm, so high it's nearly my shoulder. It's not deep and I'll live, but it stings.

Lexa's fighting the Ice Queen still. I had no idea that she's such a good fighter. She's been holding her own against the Commander. They're both tiring and I have the urge to get over there as soon as possible to help end it.

We resume our deadly dance, swords clashing. I feign exhaustion, huffing and weakening my thrusts.

He picks up on this and hits harder. In a move I learned from Lexa, I drive my knee up into his crotch. He groans and stumbles back. I step forward and attack one last time, my sword going so deep into his neck it hits bone.

I grimace and pull my sword out. The katana falls to the floor, clattering. Beheading someone is difficult and frankly, he's not worth the effort.

I pick up the katana, twirling it. It's light and easy to move. Damn I love this sword. The handle is black with red woven into diamonds going down in a straight line. The blade itself is black as death. Awesome.

I begin making my way towards the thrones where Lexa and the Ice Queen are fighting. I slice at enemies with my swords.

One warrior moves toward me, grabbing me and digging their fingers into the cut on my arm. I take in a breath, letting out a small pained gasp.

I stab the asshat through the heart. I look back up, hoping Lexa hadn't heard me. She did. She's studying me with a worried expression.

I see it coming before she does; she's distracted by me. I try to yell out a warning, but I'm not fast enough and she falls to her knees. Lexa is in a slowly growing pool of her own blood, staring at me with wide eyes.


	64. Chapter 64

Clarke's POV

I shove my way through the crowd, not caring who I push aside. Lexa.

Octavia saw it coming too and leapt up there like a panther. She was successful in pushing down on Lexa's shoulders hard enough to drive her to her knees. The Ice Queen's blade just cut a gash in her face instead of killing her.

I mentally thank Octavia, running up to Lexa, who's still on the ground. I glance up at Octavia to see if she's okay. She looks more pissed off than I have ever seen her. She roars and rushes toward the Ice Queen, who's standing nearby with a smug expression.

"Lexa, Lexa." I murmur as I crouch down.

She stares into my eyes, blinking as blood drips down her face. There's a jagged vertical wound going from just above her left eye and down so it's level with her mouth. I can't see how deep it is; it's bleeding too much.

"I will live, Clarke." She rasps, some of her blood going into her mouth as she speaks. "Wounds to the head always bleed a lot. Let us go and kill her. Octavia is tiring."

I look up and see Octavia panting as she blocks the Ice Queen's thrusts.

I get up and offer my hand. Lexa takes it and I help her up. "If you feel tired or sick don't you dare ignore it. Tell me, alright?"

Lexa gives me a smile that is supposed to be comforting, but the blood slowly running down her face ruins the calming effect.

"Alright."

I squeeze her hand before letting go. The Ice Queen manages to hit Octavia in the chest with the hilt of her sword. She stumbles back, wheezing.

I stand in front of her as the Ice Queen raises her sword.

"Killing someone when they're down?" I tsk, knowing this will rile her up. She's a narcissist and can't help trying to defend her 'honor' if she's provoked. "I know you're a coward, but that's a new low." I pause, pretending to think. "Oh no wait, that isn't new, is it? You've been murdering helpless people, your people, for years now."

"I am no coward. Could a coward fight and beat the Commander herself?" She snarls like a rabid dog.

"Beat? Oh, no that didn't happen. Because you see..." I trail off and let Lexa step out from behind me. I don't have to glance back to know she's wearing a murderous expression.

Lexa hands me my katana. "Nice sword."

"Thanks, I got it off an Ice Warrior I killed."

She takes a step forward so we're side by side with our swords raised and we move in sync, getting into a fighting stance.

"Oh this is cute. I can't wait to see the looks on your faces as I kill you." The Ice Queen says in a sickly sweet voice.

Our swords move in time, our two against hers. She struggles against the force of our combined strength, her confidence wavering.

We're going to kill the Ice Queen.


	65. Chapter 65

Lexa's POV

We drive the Ice Queen to her knees and I cannot help being slightly distracted, though not enough for her to get the upper hand again. Clarke has gotten much stronger since I was taken. And not just physically, she is more mentally prepared for war. Her muscles flex inside her favorite leather jacket and I shake myself.

Before her there was nothing and no one that could distract me on the battlefield. I cannot complain, however. Though I have this wound that will certainly scar from being distracted by her, I'd rather be able to hear her if she cries out.

The Ice Queen's grip weakens and her sword flies away with the force of Clarke and I's strength. It embeds itself in the floor, sticking up from the ground at a slight angle, leaning to the right. It reminds me of an Old Earth monument I read of, the Tower of Pizza.

The Ice Queen glares up at us with cold, unfeeling eyes.

"Do you have anything to say?" I question, prepared to give her the gift of chosen last words. She spits at our feet. "Yu gonplei ste odon." Clarke and I say together.

Our swords simultaneously pierce her body, sliding into either side of her stomach. Red stains her light blue armor and blood slowly dribbles out of her mouth. The Ice Queen no longer has hatred in her eyes, they are blank and have seen for the last time.

She jolts when we pull our swords out, falling face first onto the floor at our feet.

The fighting has stopped and the Ice Warriors fall to their knees before us.

Clarke turns to me, confused. "What are they doing?"

"Acknowledging us as the new leaders of the Ice Nation."

"Wait, what? We're leaders of here now, too?"

"Technically, yes. But I planned giving my position here up to a good Ice Warrior. Did Indra not inform you of this? Indra?"

Indra shrugs, smiling clearly enough to my trained eye that I know she did not tell Clarke on purpose. "I must have forgotten to tell her about that."

I shake my head silently. My most trusted advisor is a child.

I can tell by Clarke's sigh that she too noticed that Indra was not telling the truth.

"I think I'll do that as well." I look at Clarke blankly. "I'll give my position to someone that'll do good for this place."

"I have someone in mind." I admit quietly. "I can call him up now if you are agreeable."

"Sure. I trust you, Lexa."

I intertwine our fingers. "Rise." The warriors stand, their heads still slightly bowed. "Menelaus." His head snaps up and he stares up at us. He is the one that questioned me while she was listening; the one sentenced to death. "I believe you would make a great leader." I look at Clarke, who squeezes my hand and nods, smiling faintly. "We would like to ask you to be the leader of the Ice Nation instead of us."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for 10,000 views and over 235 kudos :D You're all incredible!! Stay awesome!


	66. Chapter 66

Lexa's POV

"Become the King?" Menelaus shifts nervously. "I am not sure I am suited for that role."

"You did not hesitate to question me and I know that your soldiers trust and respect you. That is why they did not harm you when the Ice Queen ordered them to take you prisoner. But it is not Clarke and I's decision, and it is not your decision either. It is the people's."

Clarke smiles at him. "After I clean up the worst wounds we should head to the city near here and ask the opinion of the people. If they like you and agree, you can be crowned as Ice King by your people soon. But if they don't, I'm sure they'll find someone else."

"Very well." He bows his head. "Thank you for choosing me. If my people do want me as their King, I will be nothing like her."

Clarke squeezes my hand before letting go, moving around to help clean up and dress the worst wounds. She comes to me last.

"Clarke, I am okay. We are prepared to leave for the city."

"No way. You're not leaving with blood dripping down your face. I'm cleaning that up."

I recognize her determined expression and know she will not budge. I sigh and sit down. Clarke dips a cloth into a bucket of water that is slightly red because of all the other wounds she has cleaned. She moves it so it is hovering near my eye that has shut because I do not want my blood blocking my vision.

I nod and the wet cloth presses to my eye gently. She cleans the blood away slowly and carefully and I can tell she is trying not to cause me any more pain.

When my face is cleaned up enough for her to study the wound, Clarke leans in. "It's not that deep, but it's definitely going to scar. You're going to be fine."

She breathes out a sigh of relief and stands up. Clarke extends out her arm and I take her hand. She pulls me up and I stretch my tired limbs. I do not let go of her hand and I see her smile out of the corner of my eye at the gesture.

Octavia and Raven are arguing over who was more badass during the battle, standing near a very annoyed looking Indra. I grin at the sight.

We make our way over there and Raven immediately turns to us. "You guys saw me blowing those Ice Warriors to smithereens, right? Octavia thinks she's more badass than me because she used a pointy metal stick to kill them. Tell her my way was more awesome."

"Lexa and I killed the Ice Queen." Clarke points out matter-of-factly. "We win."

Raven grumbles and turns back to Octavia. "Float yourself, O. I used bombs. Tell me that's not freaking awesome."

Before Octavia can retort, Menelaus comes over to us. "We are ready."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Haven't made a note in a while... But I do want to say the Tower of Pizza was not auto correct :) Lexa's just adorable like that. Anyone else dead because of the trailer? Like come on Raven doesn't deserve that. And also, lots of Lexa :D Thank you guys for reading and stay awesome!


	67. Chapter 67

Clarke's POV

Lexa and I follow Menelaus, the others trailing behind us. Octavia and Raven are still arguing, but more quietly now because Indra threatened them in extremely explicit ways. I didn't know you could remove a tongue that way...

A few Ice Warriors Menelaus trusts follow behind them. We reach the city faster than I thought. It seemed like a longer walk when I was in chains.

Lexa doesn't let go of my hand, which I find both sweet and adorable. Once Octavia and Raven see that, they stop arguing and just complain about how cute we are. I make them stop once they start comparing us to the sweet berries we've found on the ground. Lexa is already turning slightly pink and rubbing her thumb over the back of my hand self-consciously by then.

As we walk towards the main plaza, citizens recognize us and drop what they're doing and gather their family. They eagerly walk alongside us with hope in their eyes.

A young girl runs up to Lexa and gives her a white flower. It's unlike anything I've seen before in history books and must be native to the Ice Nation. "Heda." The girl says, smiling widely at her before running back to her family. She squeals happily when she sees that Lexa's tucked the flower in her armor, displaying it.

I smile and squeeze Lexa's hand. She looks at me and gives me a shy grin.

Octavia and Raven "aww" in the background until a smack in the back of the head from Indra shuts them up.

By the time we step up onto the stage in the center of the plaza, there's a sea of people waiting for us to speak.

We pause for a moment to let everyone else that came with us from the castle get up on the stage.

"The Ice Queen is dead." Lexa announces, her voice carrying in the silence.

The cheers are deafening and I can hear some in the front repeating "thank you, Heda" over and over. 

Lexa raises and hand and the noise stops instantly. "We have a warrior here that Clarke of the Sky People and I think would make a good leader. He was not scared when he questioned my motives, nor was he scared when the Ice Queen sentenced him to death. The guards trust him and so do we. That man is Menelaus. But it is not up to us. It is up to you, the people, to decide who your next ruler will be."

"Who killed her?" A man in the front asked.

Lexa respects the question louder so the gather people can hear. "This man asked me who killed the Ice Queen. Clarke and I delivered the fatal blows. But we do not wish to rule over this nation, for we both have one of our own."

Menelaus steps forward. "If I may say a few words of my own, Heda and Wanheda. I am honored that these great warriors think I could be a suitable leader for this Great Nation. I am not sure what I have done to deserve this, but if I am chosen by you all, I promise to be nothing like her and to try to help this nation get back on its feet."


	68. Chapter 68

Clarke's POV

"If any of you have a protest against me becoming the Ice King, speak now." Menelaus says.

The crowd is silent, their heads slightly bowed.

"Menelaus' coronation will be next week." Lexa announces.

Cheers erupt and I grin, holding back my laughter as I notice that Menelaus is blushing. He not have thought the people would like him enough for this.

Lexa and I congratulate him.

"Thank you both. Without you, this nation would be ruled by that tyrant for a long time. You have the Ice Nation's thanks. I would offer you and your warriors a place to stay but I know you are all ready to go back home."

"We are." Lexa shakes his hand. "You will be a great leader."

Menelaus thanks is again before he's dragged into a group hug with his warriors. I have to say, seeing Ice Warriors (covered in blood) and practically jumping for joy makes them seem a lot less terrifying.

"Come on, let's go home." I murmur to Lexa.

"The Ark?" She asks.

"Eventually. But we need to get back to our outpost and I'd really like to see your nation."

Lexa smiles and squeezes my hand. "We can do that."

"Stop being so gross." Raven groans, pushing us towards the stairs to get off the stage.

"The Heda and Wanheda and their warriors are heading home!" Menelaus announces, managing to get away from the group hug long enough to say that.

The crowd parts, giving us a direct oath through the sea of people in the direction of our outpost. As we pass, they bow their heads and thank us.

When we reach the edge of the crowd, Raven turns and throws something in the air. It's a firework and it explodes, slight blue sparks flying everywhere.

The crowd cheers and we wave back.

"What the hell, Raven? Where did you even get that?" Octavia questions.

"I made it. Just in case we won and I wanted to go out with a bang."

Raven and Octavia high five while Indra sighs.

I look over at Lexa. We haven't had much time to just be together. This trip will be good for us, and will help her maintain her popularity. I'm certain there's going to be parties. If Raven and Octavia come, they're going to get so drunk. The stuff the Grounders make is really strong. Trust me, I know. I drank one bottle of the stuff and passed out. Lexa had to carry me back to her tent.

Lexa's smiling softly, a calm expression on her face. She looks happy and it makes my heart soar. She glances at me and her smile grows when she sees that I'm already looking at her.

"Stop with the seduction eyes, you two. Wait till we get somewhere I don't have to hear you bang." Octavia says.

"Bang?" Lexa asks, her nose scrunching adorably in confusion.

"Bang means have sex, Commander." Raven tells her.

Lexa flushes and I glare at Octavia. "If we did bang, we'd be a hell of a lot quieter than you and Lincoln."

Octavia turns bright red and her mouth opens and closes. She huffs, giving up trying to find a retort. Raven's laughing so hard she's bent over, blur hung her stomach. Octavia gives her a death glare, which just makes her laugh even harder.

"How far do you even go out in the woods, O? Because your screams aren't muffled at all." Raven wheezes out.

"I can hear her sometimes in my village. I thought she was dying the first few times, but realized what was happening when your friends were teasing you about it." Indra says.

Raven cackles, falling backwards and rolling on the snowy ground. Octavia drops her head into her hands, groaning.


	69. Chapter 69

Clarke's POV

We set up camp for the night on the icy tundra, too far and too dark to just continue walking. Raven and Octavia share a tent while Indra has her own. Lexa and I are sharing one.

After a small dinner of a snow rabbit Lexa caught on the way here, we all head back to our respective tents. We're all to tired to do much else.

"Don't be too loud, Clexa." Raven yawns before slipping into her and Octavia's tent.

"Clexa?" Lexa asks me, frowning in confusion.

I pull her into our tent. "It's a combination of our names. Clarke and Lexa together. Clexa. She just thinks she's clever."

"She is." Lexa says. She blinks, like she's realized what she just said. "Never tell her I said that. Raven will never let me hear the end of it."

"I won't tell her."

My eyes droop and I crawl under the furs. Lexa joins me, keeping a respectable distance between us. I know it's her way of letting me know we don't have to be really close if I don't want to.

I grumble exhaustedly and pull her closer. I don't have to open my eyes to know that she's smiling. I rest my head on Lexa's shoulder, tangling our legs together. I snuggle into her as close as I can, she's warm and just as cuddly as I remember.

Lexa wraps an arm around me, pressing a kiss to the top of my head before I fall asleep.

I wake up to the smell of cooking meat, my stomach grumbling loudly. Lexa's hands are in my hair, stroking gently. I move impossibly closer to her and kiss the first piece of her I can reach. That just happens to be her neck. Lexa sucks in a breath but otherwise stays silent.

"Morning." I murmur.

"Morning. I think Indra caught something."

"Good. I'm starving."

Lexa chuckles when my stomach growls its confirmation. She helps me up and is about to walk out of our small tent when I stop her. Lexa looks at me with concerned eyes.

Before she can voice her worries, I step closer to her. "I haven't been able to do this in a while."

I kiss her gently, my hands going to her waist. Lexa tilts her head and deepens the kiss, her hand gently cupping my jaw.

"Hey, lovebirds!" Octavia says. We pull apart and of course she's standing right there at the entrance to our tent with an amused smile. "Come on, we have cooked lizard."

I take Lexa's hand and we walk out. "Lizard?" I ask Lexa. "I didn't think any could survive in such a cold place. Aren't they cold-blooded?"

Raven chimes in. "Nice of you two to join us. Lizards are usually cold-blooded though. These..." She trails off, her nose wrinkling. "They have fur but there's no other animal it could possibly be. Here, we have an uncooked one."

"Little beasts crawled into my tent." Indra scowls. "They deserve to be eaten."

I look down at the uncooked thing. It really does look like a lizard. You know, just with fur. And creepy unseeing red eyes. And claws that look seriously sharp and terrifying.

Lexa bites into a cooked piece of another furry lizard and shrugs.

"It is not bad."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas (or holiday if you don't celebrate Christmas) present to you amazing humans is an early extra chapter! I'll still keep my regular schedule, this is just a bonus. Thank you all for reading my stories and stay awesome!


	70. Chapter 70

Clarke's POV

The walk to the outpost takes shorter than I expected. Though maybe that's because I'm too busy trying not to laugh at Lexa's annoyed expression. The entire way Octavia and Raven tease us about O finding us kissing in our tent.

Even Indra doesn't seem to mind and snickers when I wrap an arm around Lexa. I put a stop to it when Lexa starts blushing and unconsciously moving even closer to me.

"Hey, idiots." I say. "We're girlfriends. That's what girlfriends do. Don't get jealous because you don't have your boyfriends to make out with."

Octavia and Raven exchange a look before turning to us with smug grins. "Who says we didn't make out with someone?"

I groan, "Horn dogs. And you complain about us."

Lexa nudges me, barely having to move her elbow because we're still so close (I think she loves my arm around her, she just has a bad ass facade to keep up).

Lincoln and Wick run up to their girlfriends. Octavia melts in Lincoln's arms while Raven punches Wick's arm affectionately. He grimaces but keeps smiling at her.

"Are you okay?" Lincoln asks. "What happened? We have all heard that something happened in the Ice Castle, but no one out here seems to know what exactly happened."

"It's nothing bad, babe." Octavia says, her voice muffled against Lincoln's chest.

"Gather everyone that can come." I order a nearby guard. She nods and runs off. I turn to Lincoln, "We'll tell everyone soon. And Octavia's right, it isn't bad news."

I feel Lexa squirm a little and look at her.

"Clarke, I should reapply my war paint." She murmurs and I know that she's nervous.

"Lets talk in my tent, okay?" I ask.

Lexa stiffens and I see the fear in her eyes. I flex my arm that's around her to remind her that it's there and she relaxes slightly. Lexa nods and we walk to my tent.

I have to remove my arm to get the war paint and she reaches out to grab it. I pull it away, out of her reach.

"You don't need it, Lexa. If you're worried about looking tough, you have an intimidating new cut over your eye. But this is not just a job for the Commander, the one who united the 12 clans, it's a job for Lexa, the empathetic woman that loves with all her heart. Okay?"

"Okay." Lexa still seems nervous and won't look me directly in the eyes.

"Hey, I'm going to be up there too. I'm right up there with you, by your side. We're in this together." I take her hand and she finally meets my eyes. My heart clenched at the terror I can see in them. It's nothing I've ever seen before, not even when we were fighting for our lives. Not even when she sacrificed her freedom to save my life. "Lexa, what's wrong?" Her mouth opens slightly before closing and she looks at the ground, seeming embarrassed. I reach up with the hand that's not holding hers and cup her jaw. I move my hand up gently, making her look at me. "What's wrong?"

Lexa looks embarrassed and still scared. What on earth could scare her so much?

"You didn't bring me here to break up with me?" She asks in a small voice and my mouth drops open slightly in shock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh, insecure Lexa. Don't know where that came from... Man I am evil sometimes! And now I just want to hug poor Lexa...
> 
> In other news that I forgot to tell you all yesterday (oops), I have an idea for a THIRD book. If you guys are interested, of course. I have to say, from what I've seen of season 3 (as in the trailer) our ideas weren't that different... Sort of. It is in no way season 3, just like the extreme basics are kinda similar. I'd explain further, but it'd ruin the surprise. But it's not based on season 3, no worries. Oh I'm not explaining this good... Oh well.
> 
> Thank you for reading and stay awesome!


	71. Chapter 71

Clarke's POV

"You didn't bring me here to break up with me?" Lexa asks in a small voice and my mouth drops open slightly in shock.

"What? No! Of course not!" I exclaim, my response a little belated because I never thought she'd be worried about that. "Why would you think that?"

I reach out and grab her hands. Lexa looks me in the eyes. "I apologize, this was an unfounded fear and it is not a good time to be discussing this-"

She moves to pull away but I keep hold of her hands. "No, Lexa. I know this will bug you. We're discussing this now."

Lexa sighs, her shoulders slumping. I move us so that she sits on the bed while I sit on a chair. We're so close that our faces are mere inches away, but that is the last thing on my mind. She thought I wanted to break up with her?

"Very well, Clarke. It is just an old fear of mine, one I have had longer than I have known you. Since Costia. It is irrational, I know this." She pauses, looking up at the ceiling of our tent as if searching for the courage to open up. I know this isn't easy for her. "I am just afraid that someday you will wake up and be terrified of me. That you will remember how I was on the battlefield and fear me."

Lexa stares at the ground again. "Lexa." She looks up at me with wary eyes like she's afraid I'm going to confirm her fear. "You were incredible on the battlefield, okay? You wield a sword like it's an extension of yourself and your steady hands only creates wounds you intend to make. I'm not scared of you. I know who you are, and who you are is the woman I love. You're the one that united the 12 clans and the one that has captivated me since the moment we met. I love you Lexa, I don't fear you."

Her mask shatters and I can see how happy my words make her. It's subtle, but it's there. The slight smirk that I don't even think she's aware of. Her eyes reveal that her inner turmoil is gone.

"Thank you, Clarke." She whispers, her eyes glancing down at my lips and I smile as she realizes just how close we are.

I lean in and gently kiss her, my hand going up and cupping her jaw automatically (her jawline is amazing and I might have a thing for it).

The entrance to our tent rustles and we break apart, the annoyed sigh letting me know that it's my mother that had come in.

I pull away and then move so that I'm sitting on the bed right next to Lexa. I wrap an arm around her and she leans into me with a soft smile on her face.

Mom clears her throat, "Everyone's gathered. They're ready to hear what happened."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to the unanimous "YES" that I got to the idea of a third book, I would like to announce that there will be a third book! Thank you guys for your support! Just so you know, I read every comment you all write and I'd just like to thank you all for your kind, amazing words! Stay awesome! :D


	72. Chapter 72

Lexa's POV

I stand and pull Clarke up as well. She immediately grabs hold of my hand, squeezing it. I feel that there is a smile on my face and I know it is one I cannot hide; especially from her.

I nod politely to Clarke's mother as we pass her as she scowls at me. We are still not on good terms and I am starting to think that we never will be. We both love Clarke, but in different ways. Abby wants to protect Clarke from the bad in the world, despite what her daughter's already seen and gone through. I just want to be by her side.

We walk up onto a make shift platform at the center of the camp. There is a large crowd gathered, it seems everyone is curious as to what happened. I am certain that I see some Ice Nation civilians.

Indra, Raven, and Octavia are already waiting for us.

"Done making out in your tent?" Octavia asks in a quieter voice.

I am glad she is not shouting that because I do not want Abby to be even more angry at me. I may not particularly like the woman, but she is Clarke's mother.

"We were not-" Clarke says, frowning. I cannot find it in myself to be annoyed at myself for thinking she looks cute when she is frowning like that.

"Then why does Abby look like she wants to stick the Commander's head on a spike?" Raven interrupts.

"She always looks like that." I say. I rub my thumb over Clarke's hand apologetically once I realize what I said. I do not want to make her uncomfortable.

Clarke just looks slightly annoyed as she glances at her mother with fiery eyes. I breathe a sigh of relief. She is not mad at me. "She always looks like that."

"True." Octavia nods, patting Clarke's shoulder comfortingly.

"Stop behaving like children. We must let them know what happened at the Ice Castle." Indra crosses her arms.

"She is right." I tell them. I turn to the gathered people. They are all looking at us intently. Everyone stops speaking, most leaning forward curiously. "The Ice Queen is dead." Cheers erupt from the crowd and I let them have their short celebration (I am certain we will have a much bigger one later). Once they settle down, I resume speaking. "Clarke and I delivered the fatal blows. The Ice Nation is free from her tyrannical reign. There is a new person in charge, one Clarke and I both trust. His name is Menelaus." I notice some Ice Nation people relaxing at the sound of his name. They already like and trust him. Good. "We will be keeping an eye on this nation to make sure that it lives up to its greatness. Do not worry, we will watch from our own territories and just make sure Menelaus is the leader he promised he will be."

I see my parents run up out of the corner of my eyes and turn to them. Clarke squeezes my hand before letting it go and I walk to them. They wrap me in a hug.

"For those of you that haven't heard, those are the Commander's parents." Raven announces.


	73. Chapter 73

Clarke's POV

Lexa walks off the stage and her parents hug her.

"For those of you that haven't heard, those are the Commander's parents." Raven says.

The gathered people are stunned into silence for a moment as Lexa's parents let go of their daughter and turn to them.

I hope Lexa didn't want to keep their true identity a secret...

I scan the crowd, looking for anything threatening. Stiff posture, clenched hands, tense muscles, even a glare. But all I see are people who seem truly happy that Lexa's parents are alive and well. The only one fitting what I'm looking for is my mother.

I thought that she's over this. Mom's standing next to Kane with crossed arms and a pissed expression. Though that could be from seeing Lexa and I kissing earlier.

Lexa walks back up onstage, immediately grabbing hold of my hand. "It is true. They are my parents. I thought that they were dead until I was taken prisoner in the Ice Queen's dungeon. They have been in that dungeon all these years and are surprisingly sane after such a traumatic event. Thanks to Kane of the Sky People, my parents and I are here today and not still in that dungeon." She bows her head respectfully to Kane, who is smiling. He bows his head back, ignoring my mother's scowl. "I am hoping that they will be able to settle down and live out the rest of their years in the manner they wish to. But now I'd like to get back to the real reason for this meeting. The Ice Queen is dead. Tonight, we shall feast and party and finally relax. Jus drein jus daun. We have spilt the blood of our enemy. Let us celebrate that victory."

Cheers erupt from the gathered crowd and Lexa leads me offstage. They scatter, excitedly running off to prepare for tonight.

Lexa lets go of my hand, giving her parents the chance to hug me hard as they can. It's been a bit since they've come back, so they're much stronger now. Together they manage to make me slightly short of breath. They let me go, both of them smiling kindly at us.

Lexa takes my hand and her parents notice. Her father pats my shoulder.

"I am proud of you both. You did well."

My heart feels heavy in my chest as I haven't had a "father figure" in my life for so long. It's nice. He could never replace my real dad, but it's... Nice. And comforting.

Lexa seems to pick up on my mood and rubs her thumb on the back of my hand comfortingly.

"Excuse us, but we are going to clean up and change into new clothes before the celebration begins." Lexa says.

Her parents just nod understandingly. They can undoubtably see the blooded haven't managed to wash off. It's on our clothes and our skin.

I walk alongside her as we walk back to her tent.

I can't wait for tonight; after everything a party sounds like fun. We could all use a little fun and happiness.


	74. Chapter 74

Lexa's POV

To be honest, I am extremely nervous. I have something to ask Clarke, and I do not know how she will react. In case it is as bad as I am fearing, I have excused us from my parents. We walk back to our tent hand in hand.

As soon as we are in our tent, Clarke turns to me. "What's wrong, Lexa? Clothes aren't something you concern yourself with and I can tell that you're nervous about something. So what's wrong?"

"Nothing." I say quietly. She is already reacting negatively. Oh, gods, I knew this was a bad idea.

"Lexa." Clarke gives me a hard stare.

"Clarke." Do not waver. I am the Commander, the Great Uniter. Do not waver. She glares at I wither under its heat. "It is nothing bad."

"That doesn't mean it's good. So tell me. What's wrong?" I can hear the concern in her voice and relent. I do not like worrying her.

"I just have a question to ask you. It is something I have thought about often, and after the war I think it may be a good time." Clarke raises her eyebrows slightly and I flush, realizing that I am rambling. Only Clarke could do this to me. "Would you like to rule alongside me and have your people become the 13th clan in the Coalition?"

Clarke grins, her entire face lighting up with happiness. "That sounds amazing!" She leans in and kisses me gently. It is a short yet sweet kiss that calms me. "It's up to my people, but I'm all for it. And I think they'll agree with me."

I smile, leaning in again and kissing Clarke. Just as I am about to get lost in the feel of her, the tent rustles. The door has been opened.

"Yeah, get it, Princess!" Raven cheers as we pull apart.

Octavia comes in and sees us still close together. She smirks, "I wondered why Raven was shouting. Take off your dirty clothes and put on new ones. You two can have sex after the celebration."

"Or during, if you're into that." Raven says, grinning wickedly.

"We weren't-" Clarke tries protesting.

"Sure you weren't. We'll leave now, but Commander, help her destress later. She needs it." Raven walks away, cackling.

Octavia follows her, laughing when Clarke gives them both the middle finger. I have learned of this from Clarke. It is apparently something Sky People do as a "fuck you" as they say.

"Sorry for them. I think they're excited that I'm dating someone that actually deserves my time." Clarke apologizes.

My heart skips a beat at her words. I love when she casually refers to us as dating or girlfriends. While I am not certain that I am deserving of her, I am sure that Flinn or whatever his name was did not deserve to be in her presence. I have heard about him from Clarke and Raven. He treated them both horribly.

I kiss Clarke's nose before moving towards the storage area where my other set of armor is kept. I smile to myself when I see her blushing out of the corner of my eye.


	75. Chapter 75

Clarke's POV *mention of partial nudity

"Should we head back to your people first?" Lexa asks.

She's getting her armor. I pull off my clothes, searching for cleaner ones without blood on them. I set the black pants, blue shirt and black jacket on my bed. I run a hand through my ratty hair, grimacing as my hand snags. I'll have to thoroughly wash my hair when I can.

I hear a sharp intake of breath and turn to see Lexa staring at my nearly naked body (at least I had the sense to change into new undergarments). I catch myself staring at her, too. She's as naked as I am (cloth bras binding her chest? My imagination is running wild). I mean, I know Lexa is strong, but her abs are absolutely drool worthy.

Lexa clears her throat and my eyes snap up to her face. She's blushing and avoiding looking at me.

"Perhaps we should get dressed." She says, her voice a bit lower than normal.

I just nod, not trusting my voice. We put on our clothes in silence. It's not an awkward silence somehow. I guess we're just that comfortable with each other.

"You were saying something earlier. About going back to the Ark first." I'm proud of myself. My voice doesn't break.

"Yes. I am thinking we could ask your people if they would like to join the Coalition. If they agree, we can make our traveling a way to spread the news and support of it."

I nod, impressed. "That's pretty smart. Let's do it."

Octavia walks in with her hands over her eyes. "Are you both decent?"

"Yeah." I roll my eyes at her.

She uncovers her eyes and sighs. "You two are boring. Come on, the celebration's going to start soon."

I grab Lexa's hand and we walk out of our tent after Octavia. She leads us towards Raven, who's tinkering with something that looks suspiciously like gunpowder.

"Were they having sex?" Raven asks when we're close enough.

"No." Octavia shakes her head.

Raven groans. "Boring." She then notices Lexa, who's still blushing slightly. "Hey, they did something. Commander Heart Eyes is blushing."

Octavia turns and gasps when she sees Lexa, who's blushing more now. I squeeze her hand and she shoots me a "help me" look.

"What happened? I want details." Octavia presses.

"We were changing, O. What do you think happened?"

"You two did have sex?" She gasps excitedly, clapping her hands together gleefully.

"Two things. One, no we didn't. Two, you both are way too invested in our sex life." I frown at them.

"We're only so invested because you two aren't. But if you guys didn't have sex, why is she blushing?" Raven raises an eyebrow, smirking at Lexa. She's mostly composed herself by now.

"Again, we were changing. We saw each other nearly naked." I say.

Octavia clutches her heart, "Oh that's so adorable! Who knew the Commander is so pure?"

"She's considerate." My hand clenches around Lexa's. I don't like my friends attacking her. "Seeing each other like that was unintentional and she's trying not to make me uncomfortable. So hush." I lead Lexa away from them. "Sorry about them. I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

Lexa smiles at me. "Do not worry Clarke. I am fine. Everything just came as a surprise to me. You are even more beautiful than I thought." Now I'm blushing. "Come, we are the ones that must start the celebration."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cute, right? This turned out longer than I thought! But I couldn't leave it with Lexa being all quiet and shy. Also, Lexa is definitely a romantic and I look forward to having Clexa adorableness. Thank you guys for reading (13k holy shit) and stay awesome!!


	76. Chapter 76

Clarke's POV

Once the party begins, I find myself relaxing. Lexa seems to be having fun. After what feels like forever, our people are finally at peace. It's the best reason to celebrate.

Some of the warriors can play instruments, so a make shift band is in the center of the festivities. Raven and Octavia are dancing together. Their boyfriends are off to the side, drinking the alcohol someone managed to get and bring here.

Lexa and I are sitting side by side on a fallen log. I grabbed her hand earlier and still haven't let go. She doesn't seem to mind. We're so close the our shoulders are touching. We sit together, drinking and eating until we're too full to eat a pebble.

I think we're both just content to see our people happily intermingling and letting loose. Everyone's happy and dancing and laughing. After a war, it's a magnificent sight to see. Even Mom seems to be enjoying herself. She's been dancing with Kane and I think they're making out against a tree. But I don't want to look and confirm that. To see my mom kissing someone in that way... It'd scar me for life.

Which is almost ironic, seeing as that'd scar me with the things I've seen that don't include kissy mothers.

I lean against Lexa and she wraps an arm around me, kissing my cheek. Octavia and Raven stumble over, both dropping ungracefully onto the log next to us.

Raven immediately rolls up her pang leg, grimacing at her leg brace.

"Remind me never to dance with Octavia again. I'm so tired of dancing and standing up." Raven complains.

"You were the one that kept insisting that you're fine!" Octavia protests.

"At least we were more interesting than Ms. Stick and Ms. Mud over here." Raven gives us a look.

Even I'm confused. "What does that even mean?"

"You didn't get it?" Raven groans dramatically. "Come on, Griffin. Stick in the mud. It's a popular phrase. Get it? Stick in the mud?" She smirks at us and high fives Octavia.

"Are you two even drinking?" Octavia asks, noticing our empty glasses.

"We are. Just not much. We do have to leave soon." Lexa points out, her thumb tracing a circle on my hand.

"Ooh, where are we going?" Octavia asks. She and Raven both lean forward, excited.

"We? You assume you're invited?" I tease.

"Rude. We're your best friends!" Raven crosses her arms. "Come on."

"It's nowhere interesting yet. We're headed back to the Ark first to ask our people a question. They'll vote and we'll see where we go from there. It will depend on what they decide." I shrug.

"What's the question?" Raven presses.

"You'll have to find out. But we're leaving the day after tomorrow so that you can have tomorrow to power through your food coma and hangover."

"Great!" Octavia perks up. "We can party harder now that we know we have tomorrow to suffer! Come on, Reyes!" With that, she drags off Raven.

I turn to Lexa, who was silent throughout our exchange. "You're okay with me telling them that, right?"

She smiles gently, squeezing my hand. "Of course. I am just thinking about the preparations we will have to make tomorrow in order to journey to your camp."

I nod. Her words remind me of an occurring idea I've had. "Um, Lexa? So we're going to travel regardless of what our people say, the purpose of our traveling will just be different. But after all that, what do you think about building a town made specifically to house both your people and mine?"

"That is a good idea, Clarke." Lexa's eyes brighten and I relax. She's excited about this.

"Good. Because I was thinking that's where we could live. You know, together. If you want."

"Together?" Lexa asks. "To share a home with the woman I love?"

"Uh, even a room or a bed." I say nervously. "If you're okay with that."

"That sounds perfect, Clarke." Lexa kisses me until we're both breathless.

"So... Together?" I want to make sure this isn't some oxygen-deprived hallucination (Lexa's a REALLY good kisser).

"Together."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And... That's all for book two, folks! Whoa, I didn't expect it to end so soon. Anyway! Book three will be up on the 16th (I'll continue my publishing habits so there will be a new chapter every three days). I think it's *almost* perfect timing because the first book has almost hit 100k on Wattpad (which is fucking insane I may have made an inhuman high pitched noise when I realized that). So thank you all do much for reading!
> 
> To be honest, this all started out with me wanting to change the ending to season 2 and now writing stories had truly become my life! Your comments motivate and inspire me! (I've shown some to friends and mentioned some aloud because I'm proud of them)
> 
> Other things I've been wanting to tell you guys... I'm in Intro to Film and we have to turn a short story into a 15 page screenplay so I decided to do the ending part of Her Weakness where Lexa rescues Clarke (I'm even including the gay kisses at the end when they're surrounded by like 100 dead bodies. So sweet). If you're interested in reading it, I can put it on here (though it literally just is chapter 18-whatever I'm going to end it on of Her Weakness). Also, I'd like to talk about the trailer for season 3 (spoilers ahead so of you don't want them skip the rest of this paragraph). Specifically, Clarke getting laid. I'm slightly sad it isn't Lexa, but come on. How could I be sad about Clarke having sex with that gorgeous Grounder woman? Get it, Griffin!
> 
> If you want to read more of my stories, I've published an original story called Wolves Among Sheep on Wattpad (why yes there are lesbian werewolves) and I just put I Hate Myself But I Love You on Wattpad(Carmilla Fanfiction. If you haven't seen Carmilla, watch it. It's so gay and it's a webseries so it's on YouTube). If you want to contact me for any reason, message me here or on Tumblr (wolf3223).
> 
> Okay, the longest author's note ever is over soon, I promise. I just want to thank you all again for reading my stories and all of your support! Stay awesome!


End file.
